Lady Of The Knight
by ObsessingOverEdward
Summary: One rainy night and a bit of bad luck has two complete strangers thrown together in a chance encounter. Bitter by an unfaithful wife Edward runs away to New York where he takes in an unlikely companion with a questionable occupation. Pretty Woman AU/AH,
1. Power and Pretenses

**A/N: This is my first go at a full length story. It's **_**very loosely**_** based on the movie Pretty Woman. I loved Richard Gere in this movie. He played a fantastic piano playing Edward.**

**Disclaimer:**** The wonderful Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just get to play with her characters occasionally.**

**Chapter 1**

**Power and Pretenses**

_BPOV_

_Where__ am I?_ I thought as I looked around my unfamiliar surroundings. I had walked for hours. What started out as a light mist had turned into a steady down pour. I didn't recognize the part of New Jersey that I was in either. I tried to find anything that looked familiar but it was all identical. I cursed myself for being so out of it that I didn't pay attention to where I was going.

The only thing I was sure of was that this part of the city was where a woman did not want to be roaming by herself. _What was I going to do?_ Tears started to snake their way down my cheeks, mixing with the rain that was dripping from my hair.

A passing car slowed down as it drove by. The bass was bumping so hard it rattled the windows of the storefronts. The passenger rolled down the window as they lowered the stereo.

"Hey kitten, How much to go for a ride?" I ducked my head and continued to walk quicker, hoping that by ignoring them they would go away. Unfortunately the car stopped and the man got out.

"Hey baby! I'm talking to you! Don't you want some fun lovin'?" He purred as he walked toward me.

By this time I was terrified. I started running, only to trip my way into the street. The driver was now out of the car and both were coming closer as another car stopped right in front of me. I looked up and saw a police officer who rolled down his widow.

"Are you all right?" He asked vaguely concerned. I turned around and saw that the men that were following me had gone back to their car. They pulled away when I turned back to the officer.

"Yes, I think I'm okay now." He looked at me and gave me a wink.

"You better find yourself a John and get out of this weather."

_What!_ I thought as he rolled up the window and pulled away. I thought he was a police officer. Aren't they supposed to uphold the law? Aren't they supposed to arrest prostitutes? I was trying desperately not to think about what he thought about me. I was NOT that person. Looking at my clothes you wouldn't know it though.

The tears that stopped while I was being followed had now returned with fervor over the comments made by the officer. Almost the same thing Mike had said to me when he threw me out of our apartment. _How could he have done this to me? All I ever did was love him and do everything that he asked of me. It was never enough!_ I ducked under an awning of a boarded up shop, contemplating how I had gotten into this mess. My mind automatically went to the happenings of this dreadful day.

Mike had called earlier and said that he was taking me to dinner to make up for the way he had behaved earlier in the week. He told me to wear his favorite dress and the four inch stilettos that I hated but wore anyway because he liked them. I spent most of the afternoon getting ready. He always liked it when I wore my hair down in curls and add more make-up than I was comfortable wearing. But I did it…because I loved him.

He was making up for the scene he had caused at my work. He had come into the bookstore and cornered the assistant manager. He pushed him up against the bookshelves in the back of the store and threatened him because he thought he wanted to take me out.

Eric was nothing but nice to me in the past, but with my crazy boyfriend causing a scene and destroying a few displays on his way out I was let go. That was not a surprise to me. This had happened on two other occasions as well.

Why I was working in a bookstore was a question I still couldn't answer. I was completely over qualified and had my dream job when I met Mike, but that only lasted for a few months before he caused a drunken scene at the annual Christmas party. I was let go a couple weeks later, right before Christmas. They said they were downsizing, but I knew what the real reason was. Without the recommendation from my first employer, which was also where I had interned, I didn't have much hope in finding another job like the first.

The second job had a similar ending. I was working as a legal secretary for a law firm in Manhattan. Mike had come in to take me to lunch and saw me talking with a male co-worker. He laid him out with one punch and dragged me outside. Mike had never gotten physical with me, but at that time I was concerned he might. After pulling me out of the office he pushed me in the car and ranted all night over what a lousy girlfriend I was. Because of Mike's jealous outburst I ended up without another job. They thought I quit, and in my haste, left everything behind. Since it was such a competitive position they filled it that afternoon. So when I showed up the next day they wouldn't take me back.

Mike was due home in about an hour to pick me up for our dinner when I received an odd phone call.

"Hello?" I said while slipping the silver hoop earrings on as I answered the phone. The line was quiet for a moment.

"Is this Isabella?" The female caller asked.

"Yes, who is this?"

"Is this the Isabella that is living with Mike Newton?" I started to panic a little at her hostile tone.

"Yes, who is this?" I repeated hoping to get to the bottom of the rude woman on the other line.

"It's not important who I am. What is important is that I have been seeing Mike for the last four months."

"Excuse me? I'm not sure that I understand what you're saying."

She let out a frustrated breath. "I have been sleeping with your boyfriend for the last four months. Are you dense or something?"

A lump formed in my throat. This couldn't be happening. Would he really have done this to me?

"Who is this?" I repeated again thinking maybe this was a practical joke that someone was going to shout 'Just kidding!'

"Listen, I told Mike if he didn't tell you by today then I was going to call and do it for him. I guess he never talked to you, did he?" I couldn't believe what she was saying and just sat there for a few minutes trying to digest her words.

"Look, I've said what I need to say. Maybe now you'll move out and leach off of someone else. Mike doesn't want to be with you anymore. He wants me. He's told me all about how you don't do anything and that you are living off of the kindness that he provides to you. He's also told me about all the men that you prance in front of him. You just need to leave now." Then the phone went dead.

I slid down to the floor in the kitchen clutching the phone to my chest. I was still in that position when Mike came home. He took one look at me and knew so his first reaction was to jump to the defensive when I confronted him with the phone call.

"What about all those men that you worked with? I knew that you were sleeping with everyone of them."

"That's ridiculous. I have never stepped out on you Mike."

"That's bull Bella and you know it. It wouldn't surprise me if you slept your way up the corporate ladder when I met you." I was shocked at what he was saying. This was not about me! This was about him and that woman on the phone. "You'd spread your legs like a common whore to get ahead."

The tears welled up in my eyes at the hateful words he was hurling at me. I turned to walk away when he grabbed my arm and whirled me around in the process ripping the sleeve of my dress down.

"Don't you dare walk away from me." He seethed, spittle spraying on my face from between his teeth.

I struggled to get away, but he grabbed the other sleeve and ripped it away, then grabbed the front of the bodice, tearing a slit to my waste. The fire that danced in his eyes was frightening. I had never seen him this mad before, not even when he dragged me out of my office.

"There! You look more like what you are."

He then reached down again and grabbed the flowing scarves on the bottom of the skirt, ripping each one off as I stood there stunned at the sheer cruelty that was pouring out of his mouth and actions. By the time he was finished he stood back and looked at his handy work. All the scarf pieces that were attached at the bottom of my dress were now gone which only left a small piece of fabric barely covering my butt. He smiled cruelly at me.

"Now get out! You're nothing but a well paid whore! That's all you ever were to me. Nobody would ever want you as anything more! You're worthless, stupid and disgusting. Now leave!" He roughly pushed me towards the door.

All I wanted was to be out of that apartment. I would have ran to the door to escape if he hadn't shoved me so hard that I couldn't keep my balance. He opened the door, put his hand on my lower back and heaved me out. I slammed into the wall across from the door and slid slowly down to the ground, crying at the horror of what had just happened.

"You better be gone by the time Jessica gets here or I'll have you physically removed." At that he slammed the door.

I sat there in stunned silence, tears coursing down my face. I needed to get out of there. I quickly got to my feet and exited the building as fast as I could. I was in such a state of shock that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and that's how I ended up lost in a bad neighborhood. I had nowhere to go since all of my friends were driven away by Mike. He really had ruined everything for me.

I thought about my last friend that didn't give up trying to make me see what Mike really was. He was there for me since we were children up until I sent him away because my friendship with him was causing too many problems between with Mike. I still remember the look on his face when I told him I never wanted to see him again. His big puppy dog eyes pleaded with me not to do it. But I had no choice. I had to give him up for peace in my home.

_Look __where that has gotten me today_.

I was now on the streets with nobody to turn to, not even Jake. As I thought his name I closed my eyes and let out a long frustrated cry. I should have been watching where I was going because my foot twisting in a pothole in the pavement and I went down hard. I knew I had twisted my ankle from the amount of pain there was. I gave up at that moment and laid my head on the sidewalk in the pouring rain and cried wondering when things were ever going to improve.

**Oh my, this is painful to read after 2 years. I promise my writing gets better as I go. This was a first time try at a story, and I'm too busy to go back and fix my sloppy writing and love my readers too much to pull this one too. So, don't judge to harshly, I've learned a lot since the beginning. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Barracudas and Babes

**Chapter 2**

**Barracudas and Babes**

**EPOV**

"Flight 1580 from Seattle to Newark, New Jersey will now begin boarding all first class passengers."

I sighed as I picked up my drink and finished off the complimentary cocktail. I hated flying domestic airlines. Even if you're in First class you still have to deal with flirty flight attendants or talkative neighbors. That's one reason why I always head for the First class passenger lounge, less people to deal with. I reached down and grabbed my laptop, threw a tip on the table and headed for my gate.

Dad needed the jet this weekend for a conference he was doing in Chicago, hence my dilemma now. Carlisle was an amazing man and I often found myself contemplating my good fortune to have been adopted by him and Esme when I was a baby. They were the best parents any child could have asked for.

I boarded my flight and tried to make myself comfortable for the five hour flight. Thankfully, I had the aisle to myself. The flight attendant set me up with another drink and I laid my head back trying to focus on anything but my personal life. It was useless. My mind continued to wander to the barracuda I called my ex-wife and the wedding invitation I had received in the mail, just days before. _Why would she send_ _me an invitation_? My mind kept going over this question. I already knew the answer, but I still didn't want to acknowledge that she could be so cold hearted.

Tanya was beautiful and smart and I fell in love with her while working on my MBA in Business at Dartmouth. We were married while I was still in school and it was phenomenal. There was so much passion that it would crackle between us and the love we shared was just as intense, if not more so. I thought we would be together forever. That was before that little chameleon showed her true colors.

When I graduated I started the Pacific Northwest Trust Company and it took off. I had acquired several companies that were failing and turned them around within my first year of business. Within two years I earned my first million and by the fifth year I had made Forbes list of top entrepreneurs to watch. Businesswise, I was successful.

With success came responsibility, and I did what came naturally. I started the Cullen Children's Advocacy Program in Seattle (CCAP). A nonprofit organization that helped children in many different areas, from adoption and family counseling to scholarships. I thought Tanya would want to be more involved so I asked her to be the Chief Operating Officer. She was thrilled to get started. It wasn't until six months later that I saw the change in her.

She always loved a party so we went to every social function that we were invited to. Even though I loved her, I couldn't help but see the vain, conceited side of her. She had a knack for drawing attention to herself, and me with her. I would always find our pictures in the social section of the paper or in the Seattle Metropolitan Magazine. It made me uncomfortable. It didn't suit me. The invasion of privacy was the part of my life that I hated. But Tanya never did realize that, in fact, she _still_ didn't.

I was more of the type to quietly go about serving, but Tanya wanted to make sure that the paper printed exactly how much we donated to whatever organization. I had gotten to the point where I would bow out of charity events, making excuses that work was calling my attention. Tanya would be angry, but she would still go without me. When she became COO to the CCAP she felt like she needed to maintain our social status. She was gone more and more as the months went by. Then, there was that night. The night she didn't come home.

I was out of my mind with worry. She finally stumbled home in the early morning hours to tell me that she didn't love me anymore, before she abruptly passed out in my arms. She refused to talk to me about her revelation later, saying "_They were just drunken words, I still love you, you know that." _That same phrase haunted me today, reminding me of how foolish I was to have actually believed her.

After that evening things went from bad to worse. I tried everything I could to hold on to my marriage. It finally became clear that she didn't want to even attempt to make it work. I had my suspicions that she was having an affair, but it wasn't confirmed until I received the wedding invitation in the mail. She was marrying my long time business partner that had taken over as the head of finances at CCAP shortly after Tanya took over operations. _A match made in_ _purgatory_, I thought wryly. The good thing about her upcoming nuptials is the alimony will stop as soon as she says "I do."

I had to get away from everything so I called Emmett, who worked in our New York branch, and told him I was coming to oversee some new investments we had obtained. I couldn't stand to be in the same state as that woman. She had ruined me in so many ways.

Our divorce was final a little over a year ago. There was no going back. I tried to date, but I just didn't have it in me. In the back of my mind I always wondered if my date was a social climber too. Was she only going out with me just to be seen? I was so suspicious that I never took any of them on a second date.

I, eventually, would call the local escort service when I needed a date for one function or another. It saved me time and headache to have a piece of eye candy on my arm for the evening and then not have to worry about hurting her feelings when I didn't call her again. It was lonely, but convenient.

My flight had finally arrived in Newark and I quickly gathered my luggage, rented a car and was headed towards Manhattan in just a mere twenty minutes. Soon I would be in my plush hotel suite with a nice bottle of brandy.

I stopped at a light heading out of New Jersey when out of the corner of my eye I saw a woman in an extremely short dress stumble and fall. I looked at her through the rain splattered windshield and noticed that she didn't move. I quickly pulled over and ran to the injured woman. When I got to her I noticed that her shoulders were shaking. Kneeling down next to her I laid my hand on her back to get her attention.

"Miss, are you hurt?" I asked anxiously as I wiped rain out of my eyes, trying to check for any major injuries.

She slowly looked up at me and my heart flipped in my chest. She had the most beautiful brown eyes I had ever seen. I also noted that they were puffy, like she had been crying. Her hair was dripping from the sheets of rain that were coming down. Mascara was running down her face and she looked like a drowned cat.

"Yes, I think I sprained my ankle." I looked down her extremely sexy legs and became aware of the four inch stilettos she was wearing. _Why do women wear those things? _Then I noticed the very short blue dress she had on. It just barely covered her nicely shaped behind. It plunged so low in the front that I got a peek at the blue lacy bra she had on. Comprehension dawned on me in that moment. She was a call girl. Even through the mess I recognized that she was a _very_ beautiful call girl.

"Do you live nearby? I can take you home if you'd like." Her face instantly changed to dread. She shook her head.

"I don't have anywhere to go." I could hear the desperation in her voice. I rocked back on my heels and took in the situation. The wheels in my head started turning. What if she's an addict? Do I really want to deal with the possibility of her stealing anything out of my room? I'm definitely attracted to her. She looks so lost; I can't just leave her on the street. I made up my mind right then and there.

"You're coming with me." I stated simply. Her brown eyes got wider when she realized what I said. She started to protest so I gave her my "no arguments" look and she instantly closed her mouth. "Let's get out of the rain so I can look you over."

She nodded her head as I gently placed one arm behind her back and the other under her knees scooping her up effortlessly. I quickly walked to the car, opening the door and placing her in the passenger seat. I ran around the back of the car and got in.

"Let me see your hands, please." She hesitantly placed her hand in mine, palms up. She was so cold. I flipped on the heater to try to warm her up. I looked at her hands and saw that the scratches weren't that deep from when she had caught her fall. I slowly ran my hand up her arm, examining them for any track marks. There weren't any. _Good, it doesn__'__t look like she__'__s a hard core drug user._ She shivered as my hand ran back down her arm. I reached in the backseat and grabbed my jacket. "Here, put this on." I commanded in a soft voice. She took it and slipped it on.

"Thank you." she said, barely a whisper.

"No problem."

She looked out her window and sighed. This girl seemed so broken. How does an individual get to such a low point in their life? What kind of event causes someone to sell their body for sex, become homeless or shoot themselves full of drugs? I was acutely aware of the silver spoon that was placed in my mouth when I was adopted. One unselfish act by my teenage mother was the difference between me and this poor girl sitting beside me. Could I have ended up in her shoes if my circumstances were different?

"My name is Edward." I smiled at her sideways keeping my eyes on the wet road.

"Bella, Bella Swan." she mumbled as she continued to look out the window.

_Be__autiful. It fits her perfectly._


	3. My Valiant Knight

**Chapter 3**

**My Valiant**** Knight**

**BPOV**

I can't believe I'm in this situation. You'd think that with a Masters in Business Analysis from Columbia I wouldn't be so stupid. I'm currently in a car with a man that I don't know. He could be an axe murderer for all I know. _No, not bad._ His eyes showed nothing but kindness and something else that I couldn't place. _No, he__'__s definitely not the villain_. I left the villain a few short hours ago.

It couldn't get any more awkward. I don't even know where he is taking me. I wondered what he thought of me. My mind was going ninety miles an hour. I must look hideous. I looked down at my dress. It was_ his_ favorite. Now it was just a tattered mess. I tried to pull the bottom of the skirt down to cover more of my thighs but it wasn't working.

The jacket I was wearing smelled so good. Like lilac and honey. I pulled it closer to myself, raising the collar to get a better smell. _Mmmmm_, _smells like heaven_. I looked down and noticed that I was falling out of the top of my dress so I slowly closed the jacket and zipped it up. _No need to give him a show._ Just like Mike said, I looked like a prostitute. I bit my lip and willed the tears away. I would not cry.

I was so shocked when I felt his hand on my back and the velvet voice that asked if I was hurt. I remember looking into his eyes and immediately feeling like I was safe. His brilliant emerald eyes showed concern and worry which was more than the beast that put me in this situation had shown since we began dating.

Why now, in the warm comfort of this man's presence did I finally realize what had been staring me in the face for the last two years? _Mike never loved me_. He just wanted someone to control, to manipulate into what he wanted. I was nothing more to him than a play thing. I tried but couldn't stop the tears as they slipped down my cheeks.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" That perfect tenor voice asked me. I nodded my head trying to cover up the emotions that were pouring out of me as a piece of my damp hair flopped into my face.

"Yes, but I'll live." Before I knew what he was doing he reached up and took the lock of hair and placed it behind my ear.

"When we get to the hotel I'll fix you right up. Is it swelling?" I looked down and slowly ran my hand over my ankle.

"Yeah, a little." I winced as the pain shot through my leg.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

_Uh…__yeah_.

My mind went blank at the thought of his hands anywhere on my body. _ It__'__s_ _just his kindness._ I wrote off my attraction for him to his thoughtfulness. It had been a long time since anyone had been kind to me.

I glanced over, taking him in while he was focused on the road. His disheveled hair was wild and untamed. I couldn't make out the color with his hair being wet and with the darkness of the car as Twilight was upon us. I had never been more grateful to have a day end, even if it had ended like this. His cheekbones were defined just like his chiseled jaw and I could imagine how it would clench when he was angry. His skin was flawless. His full lips were perfect and then they started to turn up into a crooked grin.

"Enjoying the view?" _Ah__…__ a tad bit arrogant too._ _Can you blame him?_ He has to be the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He probably has a line of women vying for his attention.

"Not really." I watched his smile falter. Let him squirm for a minute. "This part of New Jersey scares me."

He barked out a laugh so loud I jumped in my seat. I smiled at his amusement. He really had a remarkable smile. We traveled the rest of the way into Manhattan in a comfortable silence. When he pulled up to the Waldorf Astoria, I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor.

"Wait here while I get checked in and then I'll come back to help you to the room." I could only nod. This guy had to have been rolling in the money. It would have taken me months at my job, well…the last job I had, to stay here for one night.

The valet started to head towards Edward and he quickly whispered something to him before disappearing into the lobby. The valet gave me a curious look and then went in after him.

A few minutes later Edward appeared with that same stunning smile on his face. He popped the trunk and retrieved his bags before handing it to the bellhop. Edward quickly came to my side of the car and opened the door before holding out his hand to help me get out of the car.

Once I was stable with one foot on the ground and my arm wrapped around his waist the valet brought over a blanket. _What was that for?_ Edward gently wrapped it around me_. _Then I understood, _Oh__…__I__'__m not really dressed appropriately_ to _be seen in this place. _I turned three shades of red while I processed why he was wrapping me up. Edward slowly leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Even though I don't mind seeing those beautiful legs and what they are attached to," he scooped me up into his arms quickly before I had time to protest. "I didn't think you would want to show everyone in the lobby what lies beneath your skirt." I felt relief wash over me.

I couldn't walk and he was protecting my dignity by covering me up before he carried me in. He's a twenty first century gentleman. I then proceeded to bury my head in his chest, praying that this would be over quickly.

I heard the elevator doors close behind me so I decided it was safe to peek. He was looking down at me with hooded lids and a stare that unnerved me. I felt so vulnerable, like he was looking straight into my soul so I ducked my head and buried my face back in his chest. Not knowing what to make of the feelings that were coursing through my body.

The elevator opened with a ding to the forty second floor. Edward quickly walked to the door, slipped the key card effortlessly into the lock while balancing me on his knee, keeping one hand securely around my waist, then walked in, shutting the door with his foot.

He carried me over to the couch and set me down softly. That was when I took in my surroundings since this was no ordinary room.

"Wow." I blew out the breath I was holding. "This is amazing, this isn't a regular guest room is it?" He shook his head.

"No, I'm going to be here for a few weeks and I like to be comfortable. This is the Grand suite. It has a living room, kitchenette, dining or conference room and bedroom." He shrugged like it was no big deal. "It's about 1800 square feet."

My jaw hit the ground again. How can he be so nonchalant about this? I was clearly out of my league. I shook my head and looked around at the plush fabrics and rugs. The fireplace looked warm and inviting and had been lit before we came in. The chandelier hanging above the couch looked like it belonged in the lobby rather than in a suite, it sparkled brightly with hanging ornate crystals. I sighed and looked down at myself knowing that I didn't fit in to this environment.

"Would you like to get cleaned up? There's a large tub in the bathroom if you'd like to take a bath."

I sighed softly to myself. "Yes, a hot bath would feel wonderful." He smiled and disappeared down the hall. I heard the rushing of water as he filled the tub until he came out a few minutes later.

"There is a variety of soaps and oils but I wasn't sure which one you would like." He walked over to me and held out his hand to help me up.

I left the blanket on the couch and stood up. As soon as I was on my feet I was in his arms. He carried me into the enormous bathroom and set me down on a chair near the tub then handed me several bottles. I smelled each one, choosing a freesia fragrance before handing it to him to pour into the tub. Edward opened it and brought it up to his nose as a small smile played around his mouth when he looked at me.

"Freesias are my favorite." He poured the bottle into the running water. When he was done he turned to me with a determined look on his face. He knelt down in front of me and slowly ran his hand down my leg from my knee to my ankle, pulling it up to look at my injury.

"It is a bit swollen." He quietly whispered. "I'll get some ice for you while you are cleaning up. There is a robe you can put on until I have something sent up for you." He nodded his head towards the door as he tenderly rubbed soothing circles up my leg as he set my foot back on the ground. I couldn't stand it anymore so had to ask.

"Why are you doing this for me?" He looked directly into my eyes and stated.

"Everyone has challenges to deal with. Some aren't as obvious. But when presented with an opportunity to help, I will always choose to take it."

"So you like to be the White Knight, riding on the white horse, to save the day?"

"Something like that." He smiled at me before going towards the door but paused in the doorway. "Maybe I just like to rescue the damsel in distress then claim my reward." A devilish smile swept across his face as he looked at me one last time before departing.

My heart was thudding in my chest. _What kind of reward was he thinking about?_ Then images of him and I wrapped up in a passionate embrace filled my mind. I sighed. _As if_.

The bath was heavenly, so much so that I stayed in until all the bubbles were gone and I started to shiver. _How am I going_ _to get out?_ The edge of the tub was too small for me to sit on and twist around. I giggled at the thought of me trying to precariously perch myself on the edge again. I think falling outside of the tub on the tile would do more damage than it did when I fell into the tub full of water earlier. _I__'__m going to need help. This is going to be so embarrassing. _ I cringed at the thought that came to me_. I guess it won__'__t be as bad as being carried through the lobby of one of the most expense hotels in the country._ I wrapped myself in the thick towel and then called out.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Bella." He was just outside the door.

"I'm going to need help getting out of the tub." My voice was thick with embarrassment.

He slowly opened the door and peeked his head around it. That was when I noticed the unnatural shade of his hair. I don't think I've ever seen a color like that. It was a brown with bronze throughout it, almost a copper color. Once he saw the predicament I was in he came over and helped me out of the tub.

I was acutely aware of his strong arms wrapped around my almost naked flesh. I thought he would leave after he helped me out but he didn't. Instead he walked over and grabbed the robe and held it open for me to slip my arms into, the towel still securely held in place by my death grip. As soon as he wrapped the robe around my body I let the towel drop to my feet while he securely tied it around my waste.

Then I was up in his arms again. "I feel like the Chinese princess who couldn't walk anywhere on her own." He chuckled as he set me down on the bed in his room.

"Your wish is my command, your highness." He bowed as he went back into the hallway. Edward came back a minute later with a brush and an ice pack. He tossed the brush to me and grabbed a couple of pillows off the couch in the room, placing them at the end of the bed. I finished brushing my hair when he ordered me to lie down. I did as he asked and he gently took my foot and placed it on the pillows.

"The swelling has gone down." He said as he placed the ice pack gently on my ankle. I winced at the temperature. "I'm sorry." He apologized quietly as he arranged the pillows so that the ice pack would stay in place.

"It's okay, it's just cold. It doesn't hurt as bad as it did." I shyly looked at him from under my lashes. He flashed that breathtaking smile at me again and I almost swooned. _What is wrong with you Isabella! He is SO not into you. You__'__re nothing! Just like Mike always told you. You don__'__t have anything to offer a guy like him._ _Keep dreaming. _My heart fell and I looked away, closing my eyes and burying my head into the soft pillow.

"I have some phone calls to make and then I'm going to take a shower before I come back and check on you. Do you want anything? Are you hungry?" He looked at me with concern in his eyes. I shook my head softly.

I heard the click of the door to signal that he was gone before I opened my eyes. My mind was reeling at everything that had happened today. I know how I got here but I couldn't believe that it had happened.

I took a look around the exquisite room that I was in and it just added to my awe. There was a sitting area, a vanity and huge King size bed. The dresser was made of fine cherry wood with intricate patterns carved in the corners of the drawers. Above the dresser hanging on the wall was a huge plasma screen. _I wonder where the remote is?_ I thought as I spotted it all the way across the room. I sighed and decided it probably was best if I just relaxed.

My last coherent thoughts were of a green eyed, bronze haired White Knight riding in and saving me from certain peril.

**EPOV**

"Emmett?" I adjusted my phone when I heard him pick up.

"Hey bro, did you arrive okay?"

"Yeah, I'm all checked in."

"Great, I was headed out to have a drink with Jasper. Do you want to join us?" I immediately thought about the glorious woman in my bed.

"Not tonight Em, I'm feeling the pains of traveling. I think I'm going to make a few phone calls and get to bed."

"What do you have going on tomorrow?"

"I have that dinner with our next acquisition." I just remembered I needed to go over the numbers before I met with the founder. How could I have forgotten about that?

_Easy, she__'__s in the next room and she__'__s dominated your every thought. _

"Right. Are you sure you don't need me there? I can let Rose know that we'll have to postpone our newlywed date." I chuckled, not knowing if I wanted the answer to the question I was going to ask.

"What's a newlywed date?" His boisterous laugh rang through the phone.

"That's were I take my beautiful bride to that fancy French restaurant on 58th street that is impossible to get reservations. I give her jewelry and then she gives me lots of lovin'." I laughed at his enthusiasm. I was glad that Emmett finally found the right woman. Rose was a handful, but she seemed to be putty in his hands.

"No, no. Don't cancel your date. You've been working around the clock with this client. I can take over and close the deal."

We hung up with a promise to get together before I was scheduled to come into the office next week. One more phone call and then I could hit the shower. I was not sure how I was going to approach the subject of Bella to Alice, but I needed her help. I dialed her number and waited for my favorite sibling to answer her phone.

"Hey there hot stuff!" I laughed at her greeting.

"Well hello to you, sis."

"I knew you would call. I was just sitting around waiting for you to figure it out." I shook my head at her shenanigans. She always joked that she had super psychic powers. I had to admit she _did _have an uncanny gift for gambling and playing the stock market.

"I have a favor to ask of you, but I don't want this to get back to Emmett. Promise?"

"Of course." She said with skepticism in her voice. "What exactly do you need?"

"I need you to take a friend of mine shopping." I barely got through my request before she was squealing in the phone.

"Oh my gosh! This is a girl isn't it? Where did you meet her? When can I meet her? I can't believe you want me to take her shopping! Oooooooo! I'm so excited." I could picture her clutching the phone and bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"Calm down, Alice." I laughed. "I don't know a lot about her yet. She kind of stumbled into my life. She's down and out right now and needs some pampering and care from the best. So, I automatically thought of you." I ran my fingers through my hair trying to find the right words to describe Bella without giving away my suspicions of her occupation. "She sprained her ankle, so I'm not sure how much she'll be able to walk tomorrow."

"Don't worry Edward, I have a personal shopper that I will recruit for our excursion. He'll have everything ready before we arrive." She squealed again going on and on about fashion and things I could really care less about so I cut her off mid rant.

"Alice. Can you be here by noon? I have a business dinner at seven and I'd like to take her with me."

"That's not enough time!" she whined. "I'll have to have Felix do all of the fun shopping for me so I can be with her at the spa." I could imagine her lip jutting out with her award winning pout. That pout would always turn our father into mush, getting her whatever she asked for.

"I'm sorry, Alice, you'll have to take her out another time."

"Fine! I'll have her ready for dinner by six thirty." She sulked.

"Perfect." I wanted to end this conversation before she went on another tirade. "I'll see you at noon, Ali."

"Wait, Edward!" She yelled into the phone. "Before you go you better know I want answers and soon!" Then she abruptly hung up on me. I just shook my head laughing at my silly sister. She usually hangs up on people when she's too wrapped up in her own thoughts to say good-bye.

Glad that my conversation with Alice was over, I walked into the bedroom to get clothes for my shower. I looked over at Bella and saw that she was sound asleep with her arm thrown over her head. I walked over and pulled off the ice pack, gently lifting up her ankle to take a better look.

Bella shifted in her sleep and murmured something incoherently as I smiled down at her. She really was beautiful. What confused me, though, was the strong feeling I had to protect her. All I knew was I wanted this girl like no other woman I've met, despite her possible shady background.

I rushed through my shower and slipped on a pair of pajama pants. All of a sudden my nerves were frazzled. I started to question my original motive. I walked in and looked down at the angel sleeping in my bed. Right then my objective changed, I would take whatever she would give me. I would protect her with everything I had.

I lightly picked her up and slid the covers down, laying a kiss on the top of her head before gently laying her down. She smiled and then sighed in her sleep. I crawled in beside her, lifted her head tenderly and placed my arm under her before wrapping the blankets around us. Bella automatically curled into me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Edward." She sighed. I looked down at her, thinking I had woke her up.

"Bella?" She didn't answer.

"So green. So kind." She mumbled, squeezing tighter onto my waist. I ran my fingers through her hair stroking the softness and wondering what she was dreaming about.

"Nothing like Mike." _Who__'__s Mike?_ I realized I really had no idea who she girl was. As I drifted off to sleep I made a vow to find out everything I could about her.


	4. Fairytales & Fights

**Chapter 4**

**Fairytales, Fantasies and Fights**

**BPOV**

I was having the most amazing dream. I was standing in the middle of a perfectly round meadow. Trees were all around me. The wind was gently blowing my hair in different directions as the sun rose high above me and warmed my face and body. The ground was blanketed in an assortment of wildflowers and off to the side there was a beautiful white horse, tied to one of the trees. I laid down in the grass and flowers, closing my eyes and breathing in the beautiful fragrance they emitted. When I heard the rustling of the grass I smiled lazily to myself.

"You look so beautiful laying there." His rich voice practically sung to me. Without opening my eyes I reached for him. He gently laid down, leaning his weight against the side of my body. I felt his warm breath on my cheek as he softly whispered in my ear.

"Open your eyes for me, Isabella." I slowly obeyed.

He was propped up on his side on one arm leaning over me. There was that crooked smile on his handsome face and his hair in a perfect disarray as his arm draped carefully across my waste while his fingers were drawing small circles on my hip. I smiled up at him noting the spark of desire that flashed across his eyes.

He carefully leaned his face towards mine, staring at my lips as he got closer. My eyes automatically shut when I felt his warm, soft lips brush lovingly against mine. I reached up and threaded my hands into his hair, not wanting him to pull away and he didn't disappoint. When he felt my consent he pressed his lips more fully onto my own, deepening the kiss by running his thumb along my chin and gently pulling, asking for me to open my mouth. I obliged, and a flow of heat shot through my body as I felt his tongue massage against mine.

This was like no other kiss I had received. It was sweet, innocent, yet filled with so much passion that my heart melted. He pulled away asking with his eyes what his mouth could not say.

"Yes Edward, make love to me." I whispered, knowing that I had never wanted anything more than what I wanted right now.

"Your wish is my command, princess." I sighed as I felt his kiss move to my neck and down to my collarbone. His constant whispers of beauty and love caressed my skin as his lips moved over my body removing clothing as he went.

"Bella, open your eyes love." His hand stopped its ascent. "Bella, please wake up." I felt a gentle shake and then I was brought back to reality. Reality was looking just as good as my dream when I opened my eyes to find that same man in my dream staring down at me. The same look of longing on his face. His hand rubbed my hip and I felt a surge of desire race through my body.

His hand slowly moved up my body until he cupped my cheek and leaned down. This kiss was different than from my dream. It was scorching and full of unrestrained passion. I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer to me as he assaulted my mouth. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that I should stop this before it led to far, but the taste of his lips pulled me in until he broke our kiss.

With a sigh, he pulled back and gazed into my eyes. I was in a state of euphoria and didn't quite hear his question the first time that he spoke.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"How much will this cost me?" he repeated.

_What! _My mind didn't comprehend what he was saying. I did not want to go in the direction that my mind was taking me. _Please, don__'__t be asking me what I think you are asking me_.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to bring this up now, because it really doesn't matter."

I stiffened at his words. They cut so deep. Flashes of the words that Mike yelled at me as he ripped my dress flooded my mind. _You__'__re nothing but a well paid whore! Nobody would ever want you as anything more! _

Edward's eyes popped open at my quick intake of breath and his smile faltered. I could tell that he saw the hurt that was written across my face. He reached for me. Confusion mixed with desperation in his eyes

"Bella?" I pulled away, jumping out of the bed, pulling the robe tighter around me.

I ran to the bathroom, slammed and locked the door as the flood gates opened and hot tears coursed down my face. I fell to the floor clutching my legs to my chest, sobs racking my body. _I__'__m nothing but a whore! He never saw me as anything else._ I thought spitefully as I laid my head against the bathroom door.

"Bella, please open up." He pleaded as he tried to open the door. "I'm so sorry."

"Go away Edward!"

"Please, listen to me. I had no idea. I assumed with the way you were dressed—" He paused thinking over his words more closely. "I'm an ass. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I can do to make this better." Worry clearly defined in his tone.

I couldn't say anything. The tears were flowing uncontrolled now. He tried the door again. "Please, please, please. I'll do anything to make this better." I heard his head bang up against the door with each word he spoke.

"There's nothing you can do. You've told me exactly what you think of me, so please leave me alone." The words left my mouth like venom. I heard him sigh and push away from the door.

My sobs were replaced by anger the longer I sat on the floor. I listened quietly to the rooms outside my prison, looking for the opportune time to flee. My clothes were still in the bathroom so I moved to put them on. I looked into the mirror and finally saw what Edward saw last night. _How could he come up with any other conclusion? _I looked trashy. I fingered the fabric covering my breasts and realized that it dipped so low from the rip that my bra was covering more than the dress did.

I looked disgustingly at the ridiculous shoes I had worn. _Mike liked them._ That's the only reason I would have ever worn them. I picked up the offensive objects up and threw them against the door as hard as I could, letting out a frustrated scream.

I heard Edward press himself against the bathroom door. "Bella? Are you alright?" His voice broke with concern.

I cursed inwardly. This is not his fault. I'm going to have to come out eventually. I walked over to the door, took a deep breath and slowly opened it. Edward stood on the other side, his head resting on his arm against the door jam. He looked up at me and I noticed that his hair was even more untidy than it was moments before, like he had run his hands through it frantically.

He looked at me with hopefulness in his eyes. When he realized I wasn't going to speak his face fell and he looked down at his feet. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I don't know why I jumped to the conclusion that I did."

"Look at me! Of course you came to the conclusion you did." I said waving my hands in front of myself.

"I look like a prostitute!" Tears slipped out even as I tried to suck them up.

"I've been used and abused! It shows in everything I do!"

My sobs shook my body. I saw an angry glint in his eye and his jaw clenched as he reached for me. He grabbed both of my arms, giving me a small shake.

"Stop it! I didn't look past the clothing. If I had I would have seen the amazing woman behind it." His features softened and he looked pleadingly into my eyes. "Why are you so broken?" he whispered as he stroked my hair.

My body sank into his chest giving in to the desire to be closer to him. I shook my head letting him know that I didn't want to talk about that now. With my tears still flowing, he carefully wrapped his arms around me as I continued to cry. He led me over to the bed and laid me down. Crawling in beside me, he pulled me close and continued to stroke my hair while he whispered encouraging words into my ear. Eventually my body could take no more and I drifted off to sleep. I awoke a few hours later to Edward talking on his phone.

"Alice, no. Please give me another hour." He sighed in frustration. "I don't care, change it! I'll call you when I've talked to her." He flipped his phone closed, abruptly ending the conversation that he was having, and ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a long breath.

"Hello, beautiful."

I smiled shyly at him, not really sure where we stood at this moment. He quickly closed the distance between us and sat on the bed, reaching up to brush the hair that had fallen into my eyes away. Then he leaned down and gave me a chaste kiss on my lips.

"We need to talk." He said as he pulled away. I nodded knowing that there was no way around it.

"I know that there are things going on in your pretty little head that you're not willing to share with me now, and I want you to know that is okay." He smiled softly. "I'm here when you're ready."

"Now…I want you to stay."

He looked at me with the same look he had last night, the one that said 'no arguments'. Did I want to stay? Did I have a choice? _I don__'__t have anywhere else to go_, I thought bitterly. I don't have a job, or a home, family or friends. He waited for the argument, when he didn't get one he continued.

"I have a proposition for you." He looked a little nervous. "I have several events that I will be attending over the next few weeks where I need to bring a date. I was hoping that you would be my date." He looked like a teenage boy asking a girl out for the first time. I couldn't help but smile.

"What would my duties entail?"

"Well, first, you would have to go shopping because most of the events are formal." My face fell. "Since these are my events I can't expect you to pay for anything. Everything you want or need, I will supply for you."

"I can't possibly accept—"

"And I can't possibly leave you in this room while I go out and fulfill my duties." He sternly looked at me. "You are going with me." His tone left no room for argument. I nodded my head letting him know that he had won this one. His face relaxed and he reached out to me, rubbing the back of his hand up and down my arm.

"I'm not going to demand anything of you. You are only to let me pamper you and treat you like the Queen you are." I understood immediately what he was getting at. He wasn't going to ask for sex. He didn't want me to feel like I felt earlier. _Do men like him really exist?_

"I want to stay here with you Edward." I lowered my head, still ashamed at the things I had said to him earlier. "Thank you for taking me in. I really don't have anywhere else to go." His arms wrapped around me and he pulled me close to his chest, rubbing my back tenderly.

"I'm glad you stumbled into my life Bella." I smiled at his choice of words. He pulled away and filled me in on the rest of the day.

"My sister will be here in less than an hour. That was the longest I could hold her off." I grimaced at the thought of meeting one of his family members. What would she think of me?

"She's made an appointment at the spa downstairs for you. I'm really not sure what she has planned, but I apologize in advance for her…uh…enthusiasm." I nodded, trying to remember that I had already agreed to his terms.

"She's going to have her personal shopper pick up some things for you until you can go shopping with her. I can tell you now that shopping is an Olympic sport for Alice."

I definitely wasn't looking forward to that. I didn't mind shopping when I knew what I was shopping for, but I detested trying to figure out if something new would look good on my body.

"Tonight I have a dinner meeting with the founder of a company we are trying to attain. I would love the honor of having you as my date." He smiled as he took my hand. I felt like a giddy girl_. How can my emotions run from one side of the hemisphere to the other in such a short amount of time?_

"Of course," I replied. He squeezed my hand gently and then released it.

"Knowing Alice you only have a few minutes before she arrives. I should warn you that she is a ball of energy."

"I should get in the shower then." I turned to walk towards the bathroom when his arm was on my shoulder and he gently turned me towards him.

"Bella, I meant every word that I said. You are an amazing woman." I melted under his gaze. I don't think I can fight the attraction I had towards this man. I'm not sure that I wanted to. I leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the side of his mouth.

"All's forgiven." I turned and hurried to the bathroom.


	5. Pampered Princess & the Pixie

**Chapter 5**

**Pampered Princess & the Pixie**

**BPOV**

I climbed out of the shower feeling very optimistic about today's events. I was still concerned about meeting Edward's sister so I tried to relieve some of my anxiety by thinking about what she may look like. I imagined a girl version of Edward. She'd be extremely beautiful, which would be intimidating just to stand next to her.

I tried to picture a girl with bronze colored hair, green eyes and perfectly shaped features. How do I explain how we met? What do I tell her about what's going on between us? _I don't even_ _know what's going on_. I sighed and grabbed the robe I had worn earlier. I slipped it on and took the towel to dry my hair so it wasn't dripping.

My ankle felt like it was okay. Only a slight bruise marked the area where it had swelled last night. I would just have to be careful with it until I was sure it was fine.

I came out of the bathroom and into the living area to see a hotel employee talking quietly with Edward at the door. Edward glanced over at me and smiled before he preceded to hand the man what I assumed was a tip and then close the door. As I walked further into the room I could smell the food coming from the dining area. My stomach made a loud rumble reminding me that I was starving, causing Edward to laugh lightly.

"I took the liberty of ordering breakfast." He held out his hand signaling me toward the dining room.

"Breakfast? It's almost one o'clock in the afternoon," I said with a raised eyebrow.

He looked at me sheepishly. "It's easier to order breakfast. Everyone loves breakfast."

"True." I nodded my head. "So what'd you get?" I walked over to the chair that he had pulled out for me. He sat down next to me and started removing the lids to the spread he had laid out before me.

"Wow, what did you do? Order the whole menu?" I gently nudge his leg with mine under the table.

"Yeah, pretty much. There is a little bit of everything." I grabbed one of the plates he offered and started piling it on.

We ate in a comfortable silence. When we finished there was a quick knock on the door. Edward looked at me carefully.

"Are you ready for the tornado I call Alice?" I smiled and nodded my head.

He quickly headed for the door while I slowly stood up. I heard a little squeal and then Edward's vibrant laugh. I peered into the living room to see a small dark haired woman with her legs wrapped around Edward laying kisses all over his face.

"I missed you so much!" she squealed, pulling away enough to look him in the face. "You were gone way to long this time."

I could see the love radiating off of her. She noticed me standing in the doorway and a huge smile lit up her face. Edward, noticing that her attention had been refocused, turned and looked at me, too. I couldn't help but smile when I saw his face. It was evident that he adored his sister. She started squirming in his arms to get down. Once on the ground she launched herself toward me. _She is quick._ I thought, taking a step back, worried she was going to launch herself into my arms like she did Edward.

She stopped in front of me and I got a better look at her. I was surprised by what I was seeing. She looked nothing like Edward. She was barely five feet tall, if that. Her short black hair was sticking up in an artfully arranged pixie cut. The smile she had originally given me was still plastered across her flawless features.

"It's so nice to meet you, Bella. I'm Alice." Her tinkling voice perfectly matched her petite frame. I smiled back and reached out to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you Alice." She brushed my hand aside and came in for a hug. I was surprised by the strength behind this little ball of fire. Then she started talking so fast I barely caught what she was saying.

"We are going to have a girl's spa day." She bounced happily on the balls of her feet. "We only have a few minutes to be downstairs." She said giving Edward a glare. He threw his hands up in defeat. She turned her attention back to me. "You can stay in the robe, they'll just make you put one on when you get down there."

I let out a relieved sigh. I was starting to worry that I would have to put on that degrading dress again. She grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the door. I gave a small wave to Edward as I left. He was shaking his head as he mouthed 'I'm sorry'.

I found that I really liked Alice. After the initial shock of energy she calmed down. She seemed to talk a million miles a minute and bounce around when she was excited, but after the excitement died down she was very pleasant. We entered the Guerlain Spa and I was again awed at the elegance I was surrounded by.

Alice stepped up to the front desk and let them know that we had arrived.

"My friend has an appointment for a massage, mani/pedi and facial."

"Cullen?" The receptionist asked. Alice nodded.

"Fantastic, a member of our staff will be with you in a moment." Alice pulled me down on the leather couch while we waited.

"So Bella, how did you and Edward meet?" I nervously looked at her not really sure how to answer. She smiled encouragingly at me and I found myself wanting to tell her.

"I was walking in the rain and tripped, I'm a terrible klutz. He was driving by and stopped to see if I was hurt." I squirmed a little wondering what she would think of me if I continued.

"So my wonderful brother came to your rescue?" she smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you can say he went above and beyond." I smiled.

"Explain." She demanded. I sighed, reluctantly going on with my story.

"He asked if he could take me home and I told him I didn't have a home anymore." I noticed her smile waver.

"Why don't you have a home anymore?" I could hear the sorrow in her voice, but I shook my head.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now if that's okay."

Alice bit her lip and nodded. "That's okay, Bella. I'm all ears whenever you want to talk about it." I saw the concern in her face.

"Thanks Alice." She reached over and squeezed my hand with a reassuring grasp.

"Ms. Cullen?" We both looked up at the small woman before us. "My name is Bree and I'm here to get you started on your experience."

Alice was pulling me up before she had finished her sentence. Then she launched into the introductions and then laced her arm through mine as she pulled me along after Bree. Alice had obviously done this kind of thing before because she was asking questions and giving her ideas about how things should proceed. _Pushy little thing_, I thought as we arrived at the first room.

"As soon as she's done I'm going to need a private room for some extra preparations I have planned." Bree nodded her head and let her know that she would arrange it. Then she turned to me.

"First we are going to start with your massage." A little squeak emitted from my lips acknowledging her statement. She gave me a funny look.

"Have you had a massage before?" I shook my head staring at her with wide eyes. Why was I so uptight? People have this done everyday. She gave Alice a look as if asking what rock I lived under my whole life. Alice just shrugged her shoulders.

"Bella, while you are getting your massage I'm going to go out and talk with my personal shopper. Is there anything specific you would like for tonight? Maybe a certain style or color for your dress?" I shook my head yet again, feeling totally lost. Alice just smiled a knowing smile.

"I like blue." I finally said in a small voice. _I like blue, wow Isabella articulate much?_ Alice nodded her head then she was out in a flash.

I turned my attention back to Bree as she educated me on the etiquette of massage. I was relieved that my vital parts would be covered the whole time and that she would be doing the massage. I'm not sure my nerves could have handled a male handling this part of my "experience".

The smell of the oil was intoxicating. It was a mix of Lavender and Freesias. Soft sounds were coming from the speakers in the room. I recognized a tinkling stream and then it would switch to the waves of the crashing ocean and then the sounds of leaves rustling in the wind. The atmosphere was very relaxing as Bree's magical hands worked out all the kinks and stress of the last twenty-four hours that had accumulated in my lower back and shoulders. _Had it only been that long?_

It's really amazing how your life can be going in one direction and then abruptly change, heading somewhere you never would have imagined. These kind of milestone moments had come frequently in my life over the last few years.

I was just out of college when I met Mike. He was a friend of my roommate's boyfriend. I can still recall our first date perfectly. As a matter of fact I seem to recall this memory more than any of the others. It was the only thing that kept me tied to _him_. I've convinced myself over the years that Mike was _that_ man on our first date. How stupid was I? Holding on to a memory that has since ruined my life.

I was so nervous for that first date. I didn't date much in college because I had a full schedule and men just added to the complication of school. I started my new job with the top mergers and acquisition firm in the country just a few months prior to our date. Everything in my life was finally starting to settle in to a comfortable routine when Angela, my roommate, set me up on a blind date with her boyfriend's friend.

We met at a quaint little Italian restaurant near Time Square. The food was delicious and Mike was charming. He had a friendly disposition and we laughed easily together. He was successful and confident. His perfectly styled blond hair and blue eyes said All American Boy. Not to mention the well fit body that I found myself admiring throughout the night.

It had been a long time since I had been in the close proximity to a male that seemed to be very interested in me. We ended up spending most of the evening having cocktails at a little club that catered to Wall Street types. He would lean in close to speak to me and every time his breath would brush across my ear and neck I felt tingles run through my body.

_Stupid hormones_, I thought as I brought myself back to the present. If only I had noticed the possessiveness when a man looked in my direction at the bar. If only I didn't let him bully me into moving in with him. Maybe all of this heartache would not have happened.

"You're all finished, Bella" Bree whispered as she washed her hands in the sink. "You need to drink lots of water in the next few hours." She dried her hands and handed me a water bottle.

I thanked her and she led me to my next appointment. When I arrived at the salon, Alice was already there picking out polishes and laughing with the technician. Bree motioned for me to have a seat in the pedicure chair.

"How was your first massage, Bella." Alice asked as she walked over to me with two bottles of polish in her hands.

"It was fantastic. I don't know why I was so nervous about it. Bree was very professional and made me feel very comfortable." I sighed wishing that the hour long massage hadn't ended so soon. Alice nodded and then smiled holding up the polishes.

"Which one?" I looked at the two options and picked the one that was less conspicuous. She frowned slightly but then accepted my decision.

The technician got started to work soaking my feet and the applying some kind of grainy mud mask to my feet and legs. While she worked trying to soften up my un-pampered feet Alice chatted idly on about her life. She didn't ask too many questions about me which I was very grateful for.

"So, Jasper and I met at a fundraiser sponsored by PNT." I looked at her with confusion in my eyes.

"What's PNT?" She looked at me with slight amusement in her eyes.

"Pacific Northwest Trust. It's the company that Edward founded just out of college." She said in matter of fact tone.

_Oh My Gosh!_ I thought as she named off the meaning of the acronym. I had followed his company while I was in college. _I can't believe his name didn't register when I had heard it_. I only remember one photo I had seen in Forbes, but it definitely didn't do him justice. I looked at Alice with stunned disbelief.

"I can tell by the look on your face that you've heard of the company."

I nodded my head slowly, immediately wanting to know more about this mystery man that I would be staying with over the next few weeks. His company was one of the first companies that I had sought an internship with but was denied because of the overwhelming amount of applicants.

I would have loved to have interned there, ethically you couldn't have worked for a finer company. They were known for their compassion and good business sense. Working for his company would have opened up the doors to an untold amount of opportunities. I sighed, thinking _that was just another direction my life didn't go in that led me to where I am now._

"Edward is extremely successful, but he is also very humble. He would rather spend his time with the CCAP." She said eyeing me carefully.

_Oh yes_, Cullen Children's Advocacy Program. Many business and charitable organizations have used CCAP as a model. It has been extremely successful at donating millions of dollars to needy children and families. Now I remembered that the CEO was a Tanya Cullen.

My heart stopped. I looked at Alice with panicked eyes. _Oh my, what have I done? _But wait, why would his sister be sitting here with a woman her brother just propositioned? I took a deep breath not sure if I wanted the answer to the question I was about to ask.

"Is Edward still married?" Alice let out a sharp laugh.

"No, thank goodness. She was a nightmare." I relaxed instantly at her admission. "They have been divorced a little over a year." I nodded, relieved that I was not the 'Other Woman'.

She then commenced our conversation about how Jasper and she met. I found out that Edward was not the only Cullen to have ties to charitable organizations. Alice sat on the board for many of the top organizations in the country. She didn't work due to a nice trust fund but instead spent countless hours raising money for her causes. She loved fashion, which she dabbled in on occasion, shopping and parties. Not necessarily in that order. She was the epitome of class. She didn't take her social standing as a boost to her own ego; instead she used it to benefit others, unlike other heiresses that we see in the daily rags.

As my salon treatments were wrapping up I realized that I really liked Alice and hoped that we would get to spend more time together this week. Bree returned to show us to the empty room that Alice had requested. I was greeted by a flamboyant hair stylist, named Aro. He waved us over to a chair and went on and on about how beautiful the natural highlights in my hair were and how he was thankful he didn't have to add any color. Alice instructed him on what she had envisioned and he went to work.

"Your hair is so full and silky, what products do you use in your hair?" he asked, looking at me expectantly.

"Uh, Suave Strawberry Shampoo." I said quietly. The horror in his eyes was almost comical.

"That cannot be possible!" He shouted in disbelief. I just nodded my head. "That is a ninety-nine cent shampoo!" He spat in disgust.

"But you said that my hair was beautiful. Can I not get that with a cheap shampoo?" He scoffed but closed his mouth and continued making quick snips in my hair. I guess he didn't have an answer to that question. I smiled inwardly.

There was a dramatic revealing after he was done.

"I present to you, The Bella!" _The Bella? What the heck! Does he name his hair creations after everyone? _

Alice squealed when she saw the finished product. Aro quickly held a mirror out so I could see what they had done to me. I was pleasantly surprised. My hair was only a few inches shorter, coming to about my shoulder blades with long layers. It had a more modern feel to it with my bangs sweeping softly to the left with soft wisps framing my face. I thanked him for his services as he called Gianna to come and do my make-up. The make up didn't take as long as I thought it would. Gianna was just finishing up when she finally spoke

"I have used soft tones to highlight your natural beauty. Just some tinted lip gloss and you are good to go." She smiled as she applied the lip gloss to my lips then handed me the tube to use later. Just when I thought I was finished in pranced the personal shopper.

"Now where is this Cinderella." He sang with a feminine tone. "Your Fairy Godmother is here." Alice giggled at the reference. If I thought Aro was flamboyant, he had nothing on this guy. He walked over to me and shrieked.

"Is this her?" He looked over at Alice for confirmation.

When she nodded he turned his full attention to me. He stepped back about three paces, with his hand rubbing his chin slightly, looked me up and down. I began to feel very self conscience when he clapped his hands together quickly and grabbed my arm turning me in a circle to get a look at the back side. My cheeks flamed ten shades of red. .

"Oooooo, and she's got a cute perky butt, too!"

"Felix!" Alice stopped him before he said anything else to embarrass me.

"What? She's got great assets."

Alice walked over to him giving light air kisses on both of his cheeks. "Show me what you brought," she said excitedly.

Alice was rummaging through a Victoria Secrets bag and I could here the oohs and ahhs as she lifted out some lingerie. Felix pulled out several dresses in various shades of blue.

"This one is my favorite." He said holding it up to himself and looking in the full length mirror that was brought in earlier. Alice laughed.

"Then you'll have to go get yourself one after we're finished." She held out her hand to Felix and he resentfully handed it over. "Bella, go into there and try this on." She pointed to a door that adjoined the room we had been in and handed me the dress and lingerie.

The matching bra and panties fit perfectly. _How in the world did he get these things in the right size?_ There were no mirrors in the room so I couldn't tell how the dress looked on me, but I could tell that it fit perfectly. It was a pretty navy blue wrap around dress that tied on the side. The silk against my skin felt divine. I emerged from the room to squeals of approval from Alice and Felix. I slowly walked over to the mirror to get the full affect.

The dress was stunning. It clung to every curve and dipped low enough in the front to be sexy, but not obscene and hit a couple of inches above my knee. It was a very simple design but elegant. Then Alice produced a box that I guessed were shoes. I was wrong. They were deathtraps.

"Alice, I refuse to wear those shoes." She looked at me with determination in her eyes. I looked right back with the same unbending resolve.

"But they will go perfectly with the dress," she whined.

"Do you remember me telling you how Edward and I met?" She nodded. "I'm a terrible klutz. I was wearing a pair of deathtraps just like those when I tripped. I told myself that I would never wear anything like them again!" My hands were firmly on my hips daring her to challenge me. I didn't bother to mention that Mike liked those kinds of shoes and that was the main reason I wouldn't wear them. She looked at me with defeat in her eyes.

"Fine. Edward said your ankle might hurt still, so I got an alternative pair." She said with a small pout. She went over to the bags and fished out another box with a cute pair of flats nestled in the tissue paper. I sighed in relief. I had won this battle.

We thanked everyone who had participated in the transformation of 'Bella' and headed back to the room.

"I had a great time today getting to know you." I said to Alice as we got on the elevator.

"I'm so glad that I was able to help out." She smiled. "I'm not going to let Edward hog you all week. You'll see me soon." I laughed at her forceful attitude. She is definitely someone who gets what she wants. I had no doubt that we would become fast friends.

We arrived at the door to the suite when she told me to stay outside while she rounded up Edward. She slipped in and I automatically felt nervous. _What would he think? Would he be pleased with the new and improved me? How can I ever live up to his and his sister's perfection? I can't do this, I shouldn't be here._ I didn't have long to wait when Alice peeked her head out the door.

"Are you ready?" I shook my head. She frowned, noticing the panic in my eyes. "Stand up straight. You look like someone kicked your puppy. You are a confident, beautiful woman." She chanted the mantra at me, willing it to be true. I smiled meekly and nodded my head for her to open the door.

Edward was casually leaning on the wall across from the door so he could get a proper look at me when I walked in. His smile instantly lit up as he pushed off the wall and walked towards me. He looked fantastic in a pair of black slack and a blue button down shirt and black tie. He reached me in three strides taking my hands and holding them out while he took a look at me. I immediately blushed at the scrutinizing gaze he gave me.

"Lovely," he finally said. I let out a small breath I had been holding, relieved that he approved. I looked up to find his eyes boring into mine. I immediately felt a spark run through my body as I stared intently back at him.

"MmHhm." Alice cleared her throat reminding us that she was still in the room. I looked away, embarrassed that I had been staring and looked at Alice. She had a knowing smirk on her face. "My job here is done." She said as she picked up her purse and brushed past us for the door. "Felix will bring up the rest of your things in a bit."

"I expect a full report on the evenings events, and Edward…" He shifted his gaze away from me to look at his sister. "You will share!" And with that she swept out of the room leaving Edward looking stunned and bemused.


	6. The King and the Black Knight

**Chapter 6**

**The King and the Black Knight**

**EPOV**

After Bella and Alice left for the spa, I headed towards the gym, hoping to get a good work out and mull over the events of the last twenty-four hours. I immediately headed for the treadmill, thinking to myself that I needed to run out some of the pent up tension that had accumulated since my argument with Bella that morning.

I still can't believe how dim-witted I was. _How much will this cost me?_ I sarcastically thought in an annoyed tone. _What was I thinking? Obviously you weren't._ I considered with an inward sigh and then picked up the pace to my jog. The hurt I saw in her eyes pulled at my heart, and nothing mattered at that time except to see her smile return. _Not her. Anyone else but her._

Cringing, I thought back to hearing her sobbing in the bathroom and then telling me to leave her alone. I felt so helpless standing outside the door begging for her forgiveness. I would have done anything to take back the words that I had uttered, but then she surprised me by opening the door.

I thought for sure that she was going to rail at me and tell me what a pig I was, but instead I saw a glint of anger in her eyes that wasn't directed at me. She was mad at herself. But why? When she started insulting and putting herself down my defensive nature to protect her perked up. I would defend her, even if it was from herself. I hated hearing the way that she though of herself. To hear her telling me that she was a whore was not something I would accept.

I snapped and tried to shake some sense into her but saw a flash of fear when I grabbed her arms and told her forcefully to stop and try to understand that it was my mistake. When I saw the fear I realized that she had been broke. This strong, beautiful woman had been torn down to the self loathing creature that stood before me, but how did she get to that point? It was then my mission to find out and help her work through whatever she was dealing with.

I had worked up a nice sweat running, so I decided to go over to the weight machines. I loaded on the weights, wanting to feel the burn of the workout; it would almost be like a small punishment for the hurt I had inflicted. I pushed myself hard as I continued pondering the mysterious woman I had staying with me.

My thoughts then turned to the enchantress that I had wanted so hard this morning. I still savored the sweet taste of her lips as I remembered how they fit perfectly with mine. I set the weight bar down as I did not want to continue lifting when my mind was currently headed in a dangerous direction. I left the gym and went to the changing rooms for a shower while continuing my daydream of Bella.

Back at the room, I had been going over the reports for the merger for hours. I looked at my watch, and knew that Bella and Alice would be returning soon so I went into bedroom to get ready. Just as I was fixing my tie I heard the front door open. I glanced in the mirror one last time and ran my fingers through my hair trying to tame it down to an organized mess. I gave up and went into the living room and was met by my unusually quiet sister.

"She is lovely, Edward." Alice's opinion mattered to me more than anyone else. She had a thoughtful look on her face. "I'm worried about her."

Alice was very intuitive, so it didn't surprise me that she picked up on the subtle signs that Bella had put out.

I nodded my head slowly.

"Yeah, me too." She gave me a small hug, and then her whole body lit up like a firecracker, bouncing all over the place. Her mood swings were baffling. She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the entryway.

"Stay right here and I'll go get her." She was only gone for only a moment before Bella came in through the door.

To say I was stunned would be an understatement. I came over to her and took her hands in mine, she lowered her head down and I noticed that her cheeks were stained with a beautiful blush. I finally found my voice.

"Lovely." I said. I was so absorbed in looking at her that I didn't hear Alice until she said my name. I tore my gaze from her and looked at my sister.

"You will share." Alice said as she left. _What?_ I missed the whole conversation. I shook my head trying to come back to my senses. I looked at Bella and she had a small smile on her face.

"You really are stunning, Bella." She smiled shyly at me.

"Thank you."

"Well…I guess we should be going." I held out my arm and she slipped hers around mine. I grabbed my coat as we headed out. The concierge had a car waiting when we arrived downstairs.

"So, tell me about the client you are wining and dining tonight."

"Emmett, my brother, has been working with Mr. Kingsley for the past few months. His company has been struggling since the 9/11 attacks years ago. They took a huge hit when the markets opened back up, causing them to eventually sell off assets and trying to hold on to the most profitable businesses under them. Unfortunately, they have never recovered. They have two options: sell or file bankruptcy, but even by doing that they are not guaranteed."

"Why don't they just file bankruptcy and start over?"

"Because, Mr. Kingsley is old school. You don't find many of them around anymore. He refuses to flake on his debt. He would rather lose it all to another company than have the disgrace of bankruptcy hanging over his head."

I respected his decision, but to build a company from the ground up and then watch as it is destroyed by things completely out of your control is one of the reasons why bankruptcy was originally formed.

"There is another company that has been buying his stock. They are close to seizing control, but we are trying to convince him to sell to us before they own the majority of the stock. The whole thing is extremely complicated."

She gave me a stern look. "I think I can follow." I was surprised to hear the hint of hostility in her voice.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you can. I just would rather talk about something else than business. I'll get enough of that with Mr. Kingsley." I looked at her apologetically. When she nodded and smiled, I knew that I was forgiven.

"So how was your day with Alice?" Her face lit up as she described her Alice and spa experience.

"I really like your sister, Edward. I hope that I get to spend some more time with her this week."

"I'm sure that we can arrange that."

We arrived at the quaint Italian restaurant a few minutes before our reservations. I got out of the car and turned to help Bella out. One long, slim leg stepped out of the car as I took her hand. _Man, she's got some great legs._ The thought briefly crossed my mind as I helped her out of the car, I gulped down the sudden nervousness I felt. _She's going to be a nice distraction to a usual stuffy business dinner tonight_. Taking her hand I entwined our fingers and guided her inside.

Mr. Kingsley had already been seated so the hostess took us in the back to join him. I was surprised at the man sitting behind the table. He was a rather large man, middle aged, not very tall, with carrot top orange hair, slightly balding, and a huge handle bar mustache. He had a big smile on his face when he saw us coming, or maybe it was when he saw Bella. He reminded me of Yosemite Sam. I was waiting for him to jump up with his six shooter and yell 'Get all them vermin rounded up." I tried not to laugh out loud with the visual that played in my head.

"Mr. Kingsley, I'm Edward Cullen and I would like to introduce you to Bella Swan." She held out her hand to him and he took it into both of his and brought it to his mouth were he laid a kiss on the back.

"Nice to meet you, darlin'" He drawled. I tried to suppress a smile at the uneasy look that flitted across Bella's face before she composed herself and smiled genuinely back at him.

"Like wise." She said.

He then turned to me and shook my hand with vigor that would match Emmett's. We were seated and made small talk until dinner arrived. He seemed to be very interested in anything Bella said. I also enjoyed sitting back and listening to her take on everything from politics to current events. She was very well versed in every topic that was discussed. It was nice to have a conversation with a woman that had more in her head than fashion and gossip.

"Well, Mr. Kingsley, we should really get down to business." I folded my napkin and laid it on the table.

"Yes, yes. I've talked with Emmett and I don't think I'm convinced yet to sell out to your company. I see the advantages, but I've had another offer." I was surprised at this revelation. I did't know that there was another party involved in attaining his company.

"I can guarantee that no other offer will be more beneficial to you than ours." He started to argue when I heard Bella cut in.

"Can I ask Mr. Kingsley a few questions?" I looked at her skeptically, but motioned for her to continue.

"Actually, can I tell you a little story Mr. Kingsley?" He was completely entranced by her every word. _And, I couldn't blame him, so was I._ He nodded and waved his hand for her to go ahead.

"Once upon a time there was a king. This king had lovingly tucked away his pride and joy so that no one would try to take them. The crown jewels were the most valuable thing that the king had. He was very protective of these items. He had heard from his squire that a Knight was going to come and try to attain his precious things. The Knight was a Black Knight with a black heart. He did not care what he had to do to attain the crown jewels." She paused to make sure that we were following her story.

I was astounded; I automatically knew what she was doing. I had seen the analogy of the White Knight given during many hostile takeover negotiations. I had even used it before in convincing reluctant clients like Mr. Kingsley that we were there to help. She caught the look on my face and smirked before she finished her tale.

"While the king was strategizing his defense and how he would ward off the evil doings of the Black Knight another Knight appeared at the castle gates to lend his services to the king. The King had never heard of this Knight before and was skeptical at his intentions. After the king let down his guard and allowed the new Knight to help him defeat the enemy he began to see things in this new Knight that he didn't like. He observed how the new Knight tried to get the king to give him the crown jewels to keep safe. He thankfully noticed, before it was too late, that this new Knight was after the same things that the Black Knight was after and had the same evil purpose." She paused for dramatic effect.

"The king was so distraught at the blatant trickery that he had the new Knight beheaded. He eventually became known as the Gray Knight. The king had decided that the only way to deal with the Black Knight was to meet him head on. He took his crown jewels and adorned himself with them and then went out to face him alone, sword in hand. Everyone in the castle new that the king would be killed the moment he faced the Black Knight. They murmured that he was foolish to face this enemy alone, and he was."

"His squire was so concerned for his beloved king that he rode many miles to find help. The king faced the Black Knight and a huge battle ensued. The Black Knight easily overpowered the king and had him on his knees about to strike the final blow when out of nowhere the White Knight arrived. With a masterful hand he defeated the Black Knight and returned the king and the crown jewels to the castle unharmed."

"The king wanted to show his appreciation to the White Knight but the only thing he had to give was his prized crown jewels. So he had a huge banquet to honor this hero and he offered the White Knight the crown jewels. He graciously accepted with the understanding that the king keeps them safe. You see, the White Knight didn't really want the crown jewels. He wanted only to help the king and have a pleasant meal." Bella finished her story and looked expectantly at me to wrap it up. I smiled still in awe at the amazing woman sitting next to me. Mr. Kingsley looked a little confused so I decided to fill him in.

"You see sir, you can only do so much to protect your crown jewels…er…your company from the Black Knight. He will take over your company if you do not choose the right Knight to help you. The Gray Knight is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The company that is conveniently pursuing your favor while you are in the process of a hostile take over is the Gray Knight. The minute they see weakness they will strike. You know of our reputation, we will never take advantage of your dilemma. Of course, we are looking at the possible financial gain of your company joining with ours, but I can assure you that we would allow you complete control over the operations. We want to align ourselves with your business because we see the potential of success with the capital that we will invest to get you back on your feet."

I sat back and awaited his response. He sat there for several minutes with a blank look on his face. I looked over at Bella and she was chewing on her bottom lip with as much anticipation written on her face as I felt. I looked back at Mr. Kingsley and a slow smile spread across his face.

"She's a keeper." He said pointing at Bella. I smiled and relaxed a little as I held his gaze.

"You've got yourself a deal Mr. Cullen." He reached over and patted me hard on the shoulder. Relief instantly flooding my chest. I flagged down the waiter and ordered a bottle of their finest champagne to celebrate. I stood as Bella excused herself to go to the ladies room. As soon as Bella was out of earshot Mr. Kingsley spoke.

"Well Edward, I was seconds away from ending our partnership. That little lady that you have there is the only reason I'm sticking around. You're one lucky S.O.B. Smart and beautiful, you don't find many of them anymore." He winked at me and finished off his glass. I couldn't have agreed more as I downed my wine in a gulp whole-heartedly.

Our dinner meeting had been a success and if it hadn't been for Bella's fairytale it would have ended completely different. I couldn't wait to get her alone to talk to her about what had happened. I extended our appreciation to Mr. Kingsley as I laced my fingers with Bella's and headed for the car. As soon as we were situated in the car I began with the questions.

"You were amazing in there. I didn't realize that you were familiar with the fairytale business principles. It was genius to bring them up when you did. How did you know about them?"

"I have a degree in Business Analysis. I worked at the top mergers and acquisitions firm in New York." _She is filled with surprises. _I thought as I stared at her open mouthed. I snapped it shut and continued my questions.

"But you said you were unemployed. Did you not like your job?"

"I loved my job. I interned there and eventually earned a permanent spot right out of college." She had a wistful look in her eyes and then she looked down at her hands folded in her lap. I could feel the sadness radiating off of her.

"What happened?" She shook her head and sighed.

"I really would rather not discuss it. Let's just say that I was let go."

We sat in an awkward silence for the rest of the ride back to the hotel. There were so many more questions I wanted to ask her but felt that my last question crossed and unspoken line and I was afraid to have her close me out permanently. So I kept them to myself for now.

When we arrived back at the room the entryway was filled with bags from Alice's shopping excursion for Bella. We grabbed the bags and headed for the bedroom. She immediately started looking through the bags for a pair of pajamas. I could see the deep blush on her face as she rummaged through the Victoria Secret's bag. She pulled out some silky fabric, turned and headed for the bathroom.

I was too curious not to take a peek in the bag. You know that saying about curiosity killing the cat? I shouldn't have looked. The images of Bella in the lingerie that Alice picked out were dancing in my mind when she returned. She was in a simple silky pair of pajama pants and a camisole. Modest, yet very sexy. I looked away before she caught me ogling her.

"You can sleep in here and I'll take the couch out in the living room." I said as I came back from changing into my pajama pants and a T-shirt.

"No, Edward. This is your room; you should sleep in your bed."

"No, No. What kind of White Knight would I be if I made the princess sleep in the servants' quarters." I said with a crooked smile.

"I think it's sweet that you are protecting my honor," she said with a grin "but it really isn't necessary. We can both share the bed." She rushed on to clarify her reasoning. "I mean, we've already slept in the same bed so it's not a big deal if we do it again."

"Are you sure, Bella? I don't want you to feel like you have to do this. I will be perfectly comfortable on the couch."

"I'm sure." She smiled and climbed into bed, patting the space next to her. I climbed in beside her and she cuddled up next to me. Laying her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arm around my waist.

"Is this okay?" She asked turning her head towards my face.

"Anything you want is perfect." I said gently kissing the top of her forehead. She snuggled in and was out within minutes. I felt that urge again to protect her as my arms held her tightly against my chest. My last thoughts were of the amazing woman in my bed and the twist of fate that brought her here before I drifted off into a deep sleep.


	7. Playing in the Park

**Chapter 7**

**Playing in the Park**

**EPOV**

I awoke suddenly by an elbow in my stomach. I grabbed onto the arm that inflicted the punishment before it had a chance to strike again. I opened my eyes quickly and realized what was happening…Bella was flailing around. Her head thrashing back and forth as small whimpers were coming from her mouth. I lifted her slightly and slid my arm around her shoulders pulling her close to me while still holding onto the arm that assaulted me a few seconds ago.

"Shhhh, Bella. It's alright, I'm here." I whispered in her ear, trying to calm her down. _What has her so riled up?_

"Nowhere to go." She sobbed in her sleep.

I let go of her wrist and gently rubbed up and down her arm. She started to calm down after a few minutes with the soothing touch. Then curled into my side and placed her head in the crook of my neck. Her breath blowing gently in my ear.

"Oh, Edward." She sighed.

I was thankful that she was calm but now she had my body reacting in ways I promised myself I would not go. Her sweet breath against my skin and her tender voice speaking my name was almost my undoing. I rubbed her back gently, wishing that she would wake up and say my name again, but knowing that I needed to keep myself in check.

I pulled back a little and looked down on her sleeping face. Her long lashes were lightly brushing against her cheek, covering the beautiful brown eyes that were hidden from my view. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat that was being shared between our two bodies, reminding me of the adorable blush she would get when I caught her looking at me. Her pink lips were slightly parted, begging for me to kiss them. I held back the longing to ravish her as I looked upon this tempting angel.

I brought my hand up and rubbed my fingers over her bottom lip, feeling the softness and imagining how they would feel on mine again. I let out a sigh, knowing that this line of thinking would only get me in trouble.

I glanced at the clock on the bedside table, 8:23 in the morning. Slowly I slipped my arm from under her and got out of bed. I turned and looked down at her to make sure that she was still asleep. She moaned slightly and rolled over onto her stomach, her arm sliding under the pillow. The moan almost had me sliding back into bed with her. _She's even sexy in her sleep._ I ran my hand through my hair trying to shake off some of the desire that was coursing through my blood. I went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans, then headed to the bathroom for a nice, long, cold shower.

Ten minutes later I came out of the bathroom, drying my hair with the towel. I walked over to the closet to find a shirt when I heard a small gasp behind me. Turning around I found Bella sitting slowly up in the bed.

"Are you okay?" I said as I saw the redness tinge her cheeks.

"Um…yes, I'm fine." Her eyes slowly traveling from my face down my chest and lingering for a moment on the spot below my naval then back again.

_So much for the cold shower._

I grabbed a green, long sleeved button down shirt from the closet and slipped it on making sure to leave it un-tucked to try to hide my noticeable problem. _How am I going to get through the day with this woman?_

I turned around slowly and looked back towards the bed. Bella had laid back down, her eyes closed with her hair fanning all around her. _Beautiful_. I walked over and sat on the edge turning slightly to face her.

"So…I was thinking that since you had to attend a boring dinner with me last night, that today we would do something that you wanted to do." She opened her eyes and looked at me, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Anything. Isn't there something you would like to do that you never had the chance to do?"

She bit her lip thinking about something intently. She opened her mouth to speak, but then changed her mind and clamped it shut.

"C'mon, Bella. You've got to show me a good time." I gave her my most lopsided, dazzling grin. "I've only been to a few shows and Time Square when I have come before, on business. You wouldn't want me to miss out on the wonders of New York, would you?" I tried teasing her.

"Well…I love Central Park. There are so many things that you can do there. You can't be a true New Yorker unless you've visited it at least once." She raised herself up onto her elbows, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of our adventure. "There is the zoo, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the outdoor theater, or the many gardens that are simply beautiful. Really, the list goes on and on."

I smiled at her enthusiasm. "Central Park it is then."

Bella was amazingly quick at getting ready. I remember having to drag Alice out of the house every morning to make it to school on time and she had been up well over an hour before I hauled myself out of bed. Bella, on the other hand, was showered, dressed and ready in thirty minutes.

I remembered an activity that Emmett had told me about when he first started dating Rose. I wanted to surprise Bella today, so I made some phone calls to arrange the details before she was ready. Then I called room service and had some coffee and bagels sent up. They arrived just as she emerged from the bathroom. We ate quickly and headed downstairs where the door man hailed a cab for us.

I looked over at Bella and her eyes sparkled with anticipation for the day's events. I chuckled to myself at her childlike eagerness. It was adorable. We drove down 59th street and passed the beautiful horse drawn carriages lined up waiting for patrons. I smiled to myself and looked over at Bella. Her eyes were fixed on the carriages, a wistful look in her eye. Then, her attention turned to me.

"We are going to start out over at the Swedish Cottage. It's a wonderful little Marionette Theater. It's geared towards children, but I'm always spellbound by the way the puppeteers can make them move. Then I thought we could see the Belvedere Castle, the turtle pond and maybe catch a Shakespearian play at the outdoor Delecorte Theater." Her eyes were pleading for my approval.

"Anything for you, love." I whispered taking her hand in mine and rubbing circles on the back with my thumb. She blushed again. _I love seeing that color on her cheeks. _

The cabby dropped us off in front of the Swedish Cottage. I helped Bella out of the cab and kept her fingers interlaced with mine as we walked towards the quaint cottage. There was a small plaque with the history of the theater that we stopped to read.

_The Marionette Theater originated as a 19th century schoolhouse designed for the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia as an example of Swedish building design. For many years, the cottage was used as a tool shed. In 1947, the building was redesigned as a small children's theater and design workshop. The company formed in 1939 is one of the few public marionette companies left in America. The production is created completely at the theater. The puppeteers write their own scripts, design and construct their own puppets and produce every show themselves. _

Bella was bouncing in anticipation. We went inside and waited for the first show to start surrounded by children and their parents. Occasionally, I would hear a little giggle escape Bella's lips. I leaned over and softly whispered in her ear.

"You know you are completely irresistible right now, don't you?" She gave me a winning smile and then turned her attention back to the stage. I couldn't keep my eyes from traveling to her face during the show. Every time I would see the sparkle in her eyes at the wonders playing before her. _She was enchanting._

The play was a typical fairytale. The beautiful Princess locked in a tower with the evil witch standing guard over her. Prince Charming, overcoming the obstacles to get to her where he would have to slay the dragon and climb the tower and give her loves first kiss. Bella and the children would 'boo' at the villain and cheer enthusiastically as the hero would sweep down to save his fair lady. When it was over, Bella grabbed my hand and led me outside.

"That was amazing." She said as she twirled around, her head thrown back and laughter spilling from her lips. I couldn't help, but be captivated by her excitement. She grabbed my hand again and we headed down the path towards the Shakespeare Garden.

The garden was patterned after a Victorian period garden. It was beautifully landscaped with large trees and benches throughout the area. We sat down on a bench and talked about different areas of our lives. Bella talked more about her college life and how she loved her first job. I wanted to know more about it, but the last time I had asked, she froze up. I didn't want to have that kind of awkward tension now, so I kept quiet. I told her a little about how I started Pacific Northwest Trust and the Children's Advocacy Program.

"You know, I applied to PNT when I was looking for an internship." I was surprised at this revelation. "I didn't get picked." She stated simply.

"Over the last few years my human resources department has had to handle all hiring of interns. There were just too many applicants for me to continue selecting them individually." I looked at her wondering if she understood. She smiled gently at me, acknowledging my uncomfortable position.

"I'm glad things turned out the way they did." She had a far off look to her eyes.

"Why is that?" I asked confused with her comment.

"Well…I was let go of my first job and I would be mortified if it had happened at PNT and then we met." She looked down at our hands still clasped together a sadness radiating off of her.

I reached over and placed my hand under her chin and raised her eyes to meet mine. "What happened, Bella?" She looked like she was having and internal argument with herself. She let out a long sigh and agreed to answer my question.

"Last December there was a Christmas party held by the company founders. It was a lavish event with dinner, socializing and dancing. I brought my then boyfriend, Mike, to the party and things were going really well. I had met the founders and we had hit it off. I spent the majority of the evening talking with them and their wives. They told me I had a bright future with their company. Unfortunately, I had abandoned my date and he wasn't very happy about it so while I was schmoozing, he was drinking. He got fed up with my neglect and came over to get me. He ended up saying some insulting comments to one of the wives and then dragged me out of the party. I was let go a couple of weeks later."

I had a feeling that this was the shortened version of her story. By the time she was finished, my blood was boiling. _Who was this idiot? How could he treat Bella with such disrespect?_ I wanted nothing more than to rip the little weasel limb from limb. _Is he the one that broke her?_ My rage was building by the second.

Her hand reached out and stroked my cheek, calming me down instantly. "It doesn't matter anymore. It's in the past." She dropped her hand and looked around the garden. "We should get going if we want to get tickets to tonight's show." She jumped up pulling me along with her down another trail.

We arrived at Delecorte Theater and I was surprised at how many people were waiting in line for tickets this early in the afternoon. We slowly made our way to the theater and while Bella got our tickets for _Romeo and Juliet _I excused myself to make a phone call. I wanted to make sure that everything was set up for my surprise.

"We still have several hours before the play starts, so would you like to go to the turtle pond," she asked.

I smiled and motioned for her to show me the way. The pond was beautiful. We sat down in the grass and continued to interrogating each other.

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Two. A brother, Emmett and Alice. What about you?"

"I'm an only child."

"Aahhh…so you were spoiled rotten?" I laughed at her annoyed look.

"No, I wasn't. Far from it. It always irritates me that people assume because you are an only child then you are spoiled." She stuck out her lip and pouted.

I gave her lip a little flick and chuckled. "Only a spoiled brat can perfect that kind of pout." She slapped my arm playfully.

"How old were you when you received your first kiss?" I asked her. I watched as her cheeks flushed red.

"I was twenty." I couldn't believe it and she wasn't going to elaborate so I pressed further.

"No way! I can't believe that someone didn't snatch you up earlier." I shook my head.

"I didn't date in high school. I was shy and too focused on my grades. High school boys don't really like smart girls." She shrugged off my comment.

"So who was the lucky guy that got your first kiss?" I didn't think she could get any redder. I was wrong.

"His name was Jacob. We had been best friends since childhood. He moved to New York with me when I went to college because my dad was worried about me living in the big city. We decided to try out a relationship my sophomore year and immediately realized we were better off as friends. It was like kissing my brother." Her nose wrinkled and she stuck out her tongue in a disgusted face.

"Does he still live in New York?" Her face fell and she shook her head.

"I don't know where he is. We haven't talked in almost a year." She looked sad as she spoke.

"What happened?"

"Mike happened." She stated with spite in her voice. "He thought we were too close. He always accused me of sleeping with him. I eventually told Jake that we couldn't be friends. It was just too hard to keep them both happy." Her shoulders had hunched forward, and I could see the tears pooling in her eyes. She was hurting for the loss of her friend.

Mike better pray that I don't ever run into him in a dark alley. My fists unclenched and I tried to calm myself down. Bella didn't need to see my hostility towards her idiot ex. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. She buried her face in my chest and wrapped her arms around my neck. _I can't imagine why anyone would hurt her. Didn't he see that he was destroying the beautiful spirit within her?_ I felt her fingers wrap into my curls at the base of my neck. She absently stroked my hair before she leaned back and looked in my eyes.

"Thank you, Edward. I haven't told anyone about what I did to Jake. Our talk made me realize that I need to make amends with him. He probably hates me, but I have to try to make it better." I could only nod my agreement.

We stood up and headed towards the Belvedere Castle, randomly talking about trivial things. I wanted to lighten the mood before we got to our next destination and Bella's surprise. When the castle was in sight, I saw my surprise sitting on the street. I leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I have a surprise for you." She looked at me perplexed at my announcement.

I took her hand and headed towards her surprise. When she saw that I was headed for the horse drawn carriage she gasped.

"Edward you didn't?"

"I did." I said as I pulled her closer to the carriage.

"Mr. Cullen?" The driver asked as we drew closer.

"That would be me." I said with a smile.

"Everything is just as you requested. My name is Joseph, and I'm at your service." He held out his hand to help Bella into the carriage. Bella was so stunned that she just followed along with his request.

After she was settled I climbed in after her. On the floorboard was a picnic basket and blanket. Bella's mouth was slightly open in awe at the arrangements I had made.

"When did you do all of this?" She finally spoke after her shock had worn off.

"When you were in the shower." I said with a sly grin on my face.

"I've always wanted to do this. I just never dreamed I would." She took my hand and squeezed it. "I feel like a princess again." She said with a teasing smile.

"Well princess would you like a glass of wine?" I said as I pulled a chilled bottle out of the basket.

"I would love one, kind sir." She said in a mock princess voice as she bowed her head slightly.

We rode around the park while Joseph pointed out landmarks and gave us the history behind each one. Bella's happiness was clear in every one of her actions. It was like the intense conversation that we had earlier never happened. Joseph knew the best spots to picnic so he took us to a secluded meadow that overlooked a pond.

I hopped out of the carriage, turning around to help Bella out. When she placed her hand in mine several thoughts ran through my mind at once. The first was that I wanted to be her confidant. I wanted her to trust me and share all of the happiness and heartache that she has been exposed to. The other was that I really enjoyed her company, maybe a little too much. I felt at ease with her. I was terrified to date anyone seriously after Tanya because of her betrayal, but I found myself trusting Bella. She is genuine. I could easily see a relationship with her beyond our arrangement, but what kind I wasn't willing to think about.

We walked over to the lake and laid out the blanket. We ate and laughed at the different things that we had experienced in life. I was glad to hear that she had a normal childhood and pretty uneventful teenage years. Her problems didn't seem to take place until she met Mike. I found out that Bella was prone to accidents usually involving her poor balance. She told me of her many trips to the ER as a child and how the pattern didn't stop when she became an adult.

I told her about my parents and Emmett. She couldn't get enough of hearing the pranks that Emmett pulled on me and Alice growing up. I explained how after he got over the prankster image he had created in high school he found that he was brilliant at business, he came to work for me and helped open the New York office.

"He's really a big guy, a little intimidating when you first meet him but he's a big softy to friends and family. Get him in the board room and he's a grizzly bear. He's really a force to be reckoned with." I loved bragging about my older brother.

Most people thought he was stupid, with his size, he looked like a linebacker. The reality is that he was on the Dean's list at Harvard Business School. He has a knack with taking businesses apart, finding the flaws and fixing them. Our New York branch was only successful because of him.

"So when will I get to meet him?"

"Rosalie Hale is his wife and they invited me to opening night for her new Broadway show. Would you like to go?" Her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Rosalie Hale? As in famous model turned actress Rosalie Hale?" I nodded. She squealed like a girl, well, she is a girl, but the action didn't seem to fit with her character. "I'd love to go! I've always wanted to go to a Broadway show and opening night…." Her sentence trailed off as stars were dancing in her eyes. She launched herself into my arms knocking me over backwards in the process. We laughed together as she pulled herself up so she was straddling my chest.

"You're full of surprises, Mr. Cullen." She said as she poked a finger into my chest. I couldn't help myself. I grabbed the finger that was poking me and brought it to my lips, kissing it lightly.

Her eyes widened for a moment and then she whispered in a small voice that I had to strain to hear. "You're too good to me Edward."

I smiled at her shaking my head. "Nothing is too good for you, my dear." I sat up with her still sitting on my lap and wrapped my arms around her waist. It felt good just to hold her like this. She leaned in and laid her head on my shoulder. I slowly eased us both down on the blanket so she was lying on top of me as I gently stroked her back. We stayed that way until it was time to leave, talking about everything and nothing.

Joseph took us to the theater and dropped us off. We thanked him and as Bella turned away I gave him a generous tip for the fabulous afternoon. He shook my hand and climbed back into the carriage, flicking the rains and he was gone.

Just like when we were at the Marionette Theater, I couldn't keep my eyes off of Bella during _Romeo and Juliet_. Her emotions would play across her face as each scene unfolded. I was mesmerized by the depth I saw in her eyes. She cried during the death scene, holding my hand tight to her chest. I reached over with my other hand and gently wiped the tears that were now flowing freely down her face. She looked over at me and smiled, returning her gaze to the stage. I felt that strong urge again to kiss her, but held back, she would have to make the first move. I didn't want to push her.

We got back to the room and were too exhausted to go out to dinner, so we changed into our pajamas, ordered room service again and lounged on the couch watching television. I found myself nodding off during the movie we were watching and turned to let her know I was going to bed. She was curled up on the opposite side sound asleep.

I shut down everything in the suite and then picked her up carefully, carrying her to bed. She didn't make a sound when I laid her down. I got in on the other side and grabbed her around the waist pulling her closer to me, her back up against my chest. I placed a small kiss on her neck just above her shoulder.

"Goodnight, sweet Bella." I whispered in her ear before letting sleep overcome me.

**AN: Okay, I've never been to New York. All of my information came from the Central Park websit****e so if anything is inaccurate…sorry…what can I say? It's a fanfic.**


	8. Reflections

**Chapter 8**

**Reflections**

**BPOV**

I woke up, annoyed, by the sliver of sunshine conveniently flitting across my face. Out of all the places in this vast room, it would happen to shine on me. I squinted my eyes and groaned at it, trying to ignore the blinding flash of pain as it burned my pupils. Cursing the stupid beautiful day it was outside, I rolled over, trying to escape its cruel assault.

I came face to face with a beautiful sight. Immediately, any thoughts of drifting back to sleep left me as I looked upon the face of perfection. I propped up on my elbow to get a better look. _He was so peaceful when he slept._ His chiseled jaw was relaxed, with a hint of a smile on his lips. His long eyelashes rested gently on his cheek and a lock of his copper curls hung down over his forehead. I let out a loud sigh, thinking about how lucky I was to know this man.

A huge smile spread over his face and he poked one eye open looking back at me. I blushed at being caught staring at him and plopped my head back on the pillow.

"Enjoying the view?" He asked with a sly smile. I snorted out loud and then quickly covered my mouth, embarrassed at the sound that I had made. He began to shake with laughter.

"I think you already asked me that question once before and didn't care for the answer." I retorted. He laughed even harder at my response.

Trying to ignore his reaction, I rolled over hoping; he would get the hint and drop it. Thankfully, he did. I could feel him pull himself onto his elbow, his chest pressed up against my back, leaning over me. A shudder rippled through my body at the close proximity his body was to mine.

His lips were inches from my ear, his breath creating a tickling warm gush of air, when he finally spoke. "I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to embarrass you." His hand ran gently up and down my arm.

It was such an intimate moment; like a lover whispering his desire to the one that he loved. I turned on my back, wanting to look into his beautiful green eyes. _That was a mistake_. His gaze seared into my soul. I got the distinct impression that he was searching for something within me. His eyes dropped to my lips and I knew where this was headed._ Do I want it to? __Um, yes. Most definitely. __Should I let it?_ _No. It would be dangerous. _Panicking, I threw the covers off and jumped out of bed, trying to calm my nerves.

When I had made enough space between us where I could actually think clearly, I looked back at him. He had a slightly confused look on his face.

"Well, Mr. Cullen, what's the plan for the day?" He let out a long sigh and lay back on his back, looking at the ceiling and avoiding my gaze, disappointment clearly etched in his face.

"I don't have anything planned. I thought we could just hang out around the city. Maybe go down to Greenwich Village." Just then his cell phone rang. I walked over to the desk and tossed it to him. He looked at the caller ID and groaned out loud.

"Hello, dear sister of mine." I didn't know if I should stay there and listen or give him privacy. So I headed for the dresser to get the things I would need to get dressed. As if he read my mind, he held up his hand, indicating he wanted me to stay. "Hold on Alice, let me ask."

"Do you want to hang out with my sister today? She's going to call Emmett and Rose to see if they want to join us." I nodded, thinking it would be fun to get to know his family a bit more. Alice was a sweetheart, granted, an exceptionally hyper one, but a sweetheart all the same. And from what Edward had told me about Emmett, I was looking forward to meeting him too.

He turned his conversation back to Alice. "What did you have planned?" He started laughing at something she had said, and I saw again the admiration and love that he had for her. "Calm down, Alice! You're going to have an aneurism." I could hear her squeal from across the room while he chuckled again, at what I assumed was her enthusiasm. "Sure, sure, we'll see you in an hour. Love you, too."

"I hope you got enough sleep last night because she's going to drag us around New York today." He chuckled, shaking his head at her antics.

We were ready and finished with breakfast by the time Alice arrived. She was pulling a tall blonde haired man behind her when she entered our room. Edward went up to his sister capturing her in a great bear hug swinging her around while she squealed. Then he turned to the gentleman next to her to shake his hand.

"Jasper, it's been awhile." Edward said as he motioned for him to head towards me. "Jasper, this is Bella Swan. Bella, Jasper Whitlock." I held my hand out to him to shake but instead, he took it and placed a small kiss on the back of it.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said with a southern gentleman drawl. Alice walked up to him and smacked him on the arm playfully.

"Stop trying to dazzle the poor girl, Jazz. She won't be able to handle having you and Edward in the same room if you keep that up!" _How correct she was_.

I gave him the once-over; he was certainly very charming and good looking to the extreme. _Some people have all the luck. _He stood a few inches taller than Edward with a slightly bulkier build. His blonde hair was longer and had a slight curl to it causing him to have to brush it away from his eyes, the action making him look even more like a runway model.

Alice wound her arm through Jasper's and looked up at him adoringly while he returned the same sappy look back. It was awfully adorable to watch these two, almost intruding, like you were interrupting a private moment. The contrast between them was striking, yet complementary. Jasper stood at least a foot and a half taller than Alice. They were complete opposite in looks but both beautiful in their own right. Edward cleared his throat interrupting the moment they were sharing.

"Did you get a hold of Emmett?" She reluctantly tore her gaze from Jasper before nodding her head.

"I did, but he said something about Rose having a rehearsal this morning. They'll meet up with us later." She answered as she went over to the table, pulling out different things from her purse.

"So, here's my plan. We are going to play tourists today." She handed both of us a button, t-shirt and hat. I looked at the button then held out the t-shirt and hat, all three things having the exact same big letters 'I heart NY' printed on them. I giggled at her idea. It seemed like she didn't do anything half way, either that or she just liked to play dress up for whatever event she had planned. Edward groaned.

"Alice, I am not wearing that." He said with conviction.

I watched in awe as this brilliant, successful man came to his knees. Alice turned to him and gave him what I could only describe as a heart wrenching look. Her big blue eyes went wide, and glossy with what looked like unshed tears. Her lip jutted out slightly as I watched a small quiver go through it. _Oh, she__'__s good. _Edward closed his eyes and then snatched the hat out of her hand.

"How can someone so small, be so annoying?" He quipped, as he slammed the hat on his head. Alice instantly snapped out of her pout and jumped up and down clapping her hands excitedly.

"This is going to be so fun!"

Jasper wrapped his arms around her and she immediately calmed down. I pulled the t-shirt on over my tank top and handed back the button and hat.

"You're never going to get Rose in one of those." Edward pointed out as he sat down.

"It doesn't matter. Emmett will wear enough for the both of them." Edward and Jasper laughed out loud, while I just stood there, confused at her comment, wondering what I had missed.

Edward noticed my confusion and laughed even harder. "Emmett's a big kid. He always buys whatever souvenir he can get his hands on. Last time we went to see the Phantom of the Opera, he bought a phantom mask and wore it through the whole performance and then dinner. Rose was mortified, but that didn't deter him, not much does."

Edward turned back to Alice. "So Ali, what do you have planned?"

"We won't be shopping today." I saw relief in Jasper and Edward's expressions as she turned to me. "We will have to go soon though, so Bella can get a dress for Opening Night, but for today we're going to see the sites. I figured we would go out to Ellis Island, Ground Zero and the Empire State building. Then afterwards come back here and watch a movie, you have better room service than at my house." She smirked as she pulled the movie out of her purse waving it around so I didn't catch the title.

We all agreed and headed out. Edward had a car ready for us when we hit the lobby.

Our first stop was Ground Zero. It always made me sad to visit this site. The terrible loss of life was so pointless. We all walked solemnly to the site of where the towers once stood. All around you could hear construction going on. There were grand plans for this area.

We stopped overlooking the _Reflecting Absence_ memorial which was a footprint of where the two towers stood. A waterfall fountain along the four walls cascaded down into illuminated reflective pools. The names of the 2,979 who perished in the September 11th attacks in New York City, Washington, DC; and Pennsylvania and the February 1993 WTC bombing were inscribed around the edge of the memorial waterfalls,

I couldn't help but tear up as the memories of that dreadful day filled my mind. Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulder pulling me closer. I laid my head on his chest as we stood in silence, letting the mourning of that day wash over us.

Alice spoke with a shudder in her voice. "I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news." We all shook our heads in agreement. It was such a devastating event in our countries history that most people who were old enough would remember the events as if it was yesterday.

Edward rubbed my arm "Did you live here when it happened?" He asked me in a hushed voice. I nodded.

"Yes, I had just started college. I had only moved here about three weeks before it happened. My parents were frantic, insisting I move back home, but I couldn't and wouldn't give up my dreams for some nut job terrorists. School was cancelled for a few days and I couldn't sit around not doing anything so my roommate and I volunteered at the cruise ship."

"I don't understand? Why a cruise ship?" Edward asked.

"There were so many volunteers that had come from all over the country that the Red Cross brought in a ship for them to stay in. It was pretty ingenious, it was totally self sustaining. I mostly worked in the kitchen making meals for the workers." He gave me a gentle squeeze.

"The agony that would be evident in the workers who would return, was the hardest to take. They had to see so much destruction and carnage." I shuddered slightly at the memory of the hollow faces of the workers that would come in the dining room to eat. I pointed at the center of the site. "Two blue beams light up the sky in remembrance of that terrible day."

There wasn't much to say. We all were contemplating our own recollection of that day. We headed to the museum and spent a little over an hour listening to the stories of the victims and workers. Alice and I went through two travel sized Kleenex packs. Edward and Jasper tried to _man up_ but eventually used a few themselves, admitting to a slight cold. We left feeling somber and thankful for the things in which we had; namely our families and their friends.

Jasper spoke up as we climbed in the car headed for the Empire State building. "I don't know about you guys but I'm drained emotionally from that experience. I need a pick me up." Just then Alice's phone rang.

"Speak." She cockily answered her phone. "Yes, we just left; we are headed to the Empire State building." She started laughing.

"You better not, Rose won't be happy." Alice warned. She just shook her head and told him to behave before hanging up.

"Rose and Emmett will be meeting us at the Empire State Building; we should arrive about the same time." She told us all laughing to herself.

"What does Emmett have planned?" Edward asked; the uneasiness obvious in his voice.

Alice laughed, but much to my dismay, didn't reveal anything else. "I'm not going to ruin the surprise, but let's just say that our dear brother is probably going to need a place to sleep tonight."

We arrived and I immediately recognized Rosalie Hale. She seemed to command the attention of everyone in the room, without even trying. Being even more stunning in person, her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulder in beautifully perfect curls. My self-esteem took a major hit just looking at her. The big guy with his arms wrapped around her, must have been Emmett. He had dark curly hair and a twinkle in his eye. A wide smile graced his lips as he locked eyes with me.

"So Eddie, who's the hot chick?" Edward growled at him. "Easy there buddy, no need to get hostile." He smiled at me and reached for my hand pumping it hard. "I'm Emmett and this is my wife Rosalie, I'm related to Mr. No Sense of Humor here." He said as he pointed towards Edward. Edward's jaw clenched and I saw the muscles working underneath the skin.

_Damn, he was even sexy when he was mad. _

I spoke up, when I realized that Edward was too angry to make the introductions. "Nice to meet you both, I'm Bella." I poked Edward in the ribs to snap him out of it. He winced slightly, gave one more warning glance at Emmett and then took me by the hand, rubbing at the spot I poked him at.

"I'll get you back for that later." He whispered so only I could hear. A tremble ran through my body, and I felt my legs wobble. _Get a hold of yourself, Bella_.

Alice started pulling out her buttons, hats and t-shirts. Rose gave her one look that said there was no way she was wearing it, and Alice dropped the subject, which caused Edward to pout, muttering about how life wasn't fair. Emmett on the other hand acted as though he had won the lotto. He pulled the t-shirt on and secured the hat on his head with enthusiasm. _I guess he doesn__'__t mind playing dress up_.

With introductions over we got in the elevator and Emmett pushed the button that was three stories below the observation deck. Alice smirked, Edward gave him a questioning look but Emmett just looked innocently back at him. "What?" He asked as Edward just shook his head deciding it was better not to know what Emmett had planned.

We reached Emmett's destination and he got out of the elevator, we all stood motionless in our spots. "Let's go guys. It's not healthy to take the elevator the whole way." Everyone looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Give me a break, we're going to walk the last few flights, is it really going to kill you?" Rosalie was giving him a suspicious glare as she walked out of the elevator. We all followed wondering what the heck he was up to. We started for the stairs and that's when Emmett grabbed hold of Rosalie, throwing her over his shoulder and bolted up the stairs, with her screaming at him to put her down.

Alice and Jasper were in a fit of laughter at Emmett's antics. Edward just shook his head and followed. We could hear Rosalie's screams and Emmett's booming laughter as we climbed the stairs.

We reached the observation deck to see that Emmett still had his wife over his shoulder, pounding his chest and giving a Tarzan like yell, frightening a small child and her grandmother.

"What are you doing, you idiot! Put me down! Now! So help me, Emmett you won't have sex for a week!" Her face was red from hanging upside down. He smacked her on the rear and put her down. She yelped and smacked him hard upside the head when she was vertical again.

"Now that your little re-enactment of King Kong is over I'd appreciate it if you would keep your distance for the rest of our visit, I don't trust you to not do anything else." She said huffily.

"Awww, come on Rose. I was just having a little bit of fun," he whined.

"No Emmett." She sassily retorted. Emmett got down on his knees, begging her to reconsider. The whole spectacle was actually quite funny. Rose would move away from him and he would speedily follow her on his knees around the observation deck.

Alice leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Foreplay." She nodded in their direction. "She likes to know that she's in charge."

By the time we left Rose and Emmett had made up and were having an intense public display of affection until Edward practically pulled them apart reminding them that children were present.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, we'll finish our rendition of _Sleepless in Seattle _when we get home." Emmett's eyebrows wiggled suggestively at her before he laid another wet kiss on her.

"Ugh, get a room you two." Jasper said as he grabbed Alice's hand to escape the inappropriate groping they were doing.

"What's up with Emmett's fixation with acting out movies?" I asked making Edward grimace a little at some memory.

"He used to always make me act some movie out when we were kids. It wasn't until he watched Superman and almost pushed me off the roof that my mother put a stop to his role playing. I was six." He shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"He didn't grow out of it. He just got better at hiding it from Mom. You don't want to be anywhere near him after he's watched something risqué." A disgusted shudder ripped through him. "I made the mistake of dropping in on him after he and Rose started dating. Let's just say that I left the key on the counter, so I would never have to walk in on something like that again."

I couldn't help but laugh at the disturbing image Edward painted. We took the ferry to the island and got a great history lesson on The Statue of Liberty. I didn't realize that there was more than one Statue of Liberty. When I voiced my ignorance, Emmett had to put his two cents worth.

"Don't tell me you haven't seen National Treasure II?" He asked, appalled that I wasn't a movie buff like he was. I shook my head and he sighed, as if it was the most disappointing thing he had ever heard.

"Edward, you need to educate this girl, if you plan on keeping her around." I blushed at his assumption. Edward shifted on his feet, obviously uncomfortable with his brother's statement. "So, where did you two meet?" Emmett asked while he was browsing the souvenir stand. Both Edward and I looked at each other, not really sure what the other would say. Edward took the lead.

"Oh, you know, a friend of a friend." He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders as if to say that was the best he could come up with.

"So your friend knew Bella who lived in New York and hooked you two up?" He looked at his brother innocently.

Edward shrugged again. "Something like that." I could tell by watching his body movements that he was uncomfortable with lying to his brother.

He did it for me. For some reason, that little acknowledgement sent a thrill through me. He was trying to protect me yet again. I mouthed 'thank you' when I caught his attention and Emmet had turned back to the crazy pointed Statue of Liberty hats.

"Whatever dude. Don't tell me, then." Emmett said under his breath. Edward winced at the sound of his retort.

Emmett purchased one of those silly green hats and wore it for the whole tour, occasionally striking a pose like the Statue of Liberty. A small girl of about four years old thought he was funny and spent the whole tour chatting with him about her Barbie's and My Little Ponies. He listened intently and had a heated debate with her over which game was better Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders. Rosalie hung back and watched a small smile playing at her lips.

I walked over to her. "He'll make a good dad one day." I told her as he was giving his new friend a high five. She nodded her head.

"Yes, he will. That's one reason I fell in love with him. He's such a kid at heart. He pulls me out of my overly serious moods and reminds me everyday what the most important things in life are."

We spent the rest of the tour getting to know each other. She talked excitedly about her new role on Broadway and her career as a model. I couldn't help but be envious of the life she has. She had jetted around the world, dined with royalty, been photographed with celebrities and had an extremely successful career. What I envied the most wasn't all of the material things or the high class lifestyle she led, it was her love for Emmett. I could see that everything she said and did revolved around him. He was the center of her world. And it was apparent that the same affection was returned.

We left with a sad farewell for Emmett and his new best friend. She wrapped her tiny arms around his huge leg and said a tearful goodbye. With only snacks in our stomachs from the day's events, we decided to go out to eat. There was a small pizza place a few blocks from the hotel that Emmett said had the best pizza and home brewed beer. We all squeezed around a small table and chatted about different things.

Out of the corner of my eye, walking on the sidewalk just outside the window, I thought I saw someone I recognized. My face wet blank and I stared at them trying to confirm my suspicions. My heart started racing and I immediately shoved Edward out of the booth so I could get a better look.

"What's wrong? Bella, what is it?" I didn't have time to tell him if I was going to catch up with him.

"I'll be right back." I swept passed him and ran for the door. Edward was standing at the table looking stunned while everyone was asking him what was going on. I didn't stick around to find out what he said. I ran after the man with the long black hair, praying that it was Jacob. He turned down a street about a block up and by the time I rounded the corner I saw a cab pull away with him inside.

Panting and trying to catch my breath I stomped my foot in frustration. _I was so close!_ Angry tears were streaming down my face as I realized that I may never find him. I had called his number once a few months after I pitched him out of my life but the number was disconnected. The very real consequences of my actions were now haunting me.

I would do anything to make it up to him, if I could only find him. I cried for the person that I was before Mike. I cried for the friends that I had lost. I cried for the pathetic wretch that Mike had turned me into. _No more! I will not let the mistakes of my past turn me into that girl again._ I wiped my tears with determination and headed back to the restaurant. Edward was watching the door when I came through it. He stood and headed toward me. I must have looked a mess.

"Bella, what is it?" He asked as he brushed the hair that was clinging to my wet cheeks. "You've been crying, please tell me what happened." His concern sent a fresh round of tears to pool in my eyes.

"I thought I saw Jacob. By the time I reached him he was in a cab pulling away." I tried to smile and suck up the tears but one slipped out before I could stop it. Edward reached up and brushed it away.

"If you want to find him I can help." He said softly, sweetly reassuring me that all hope was not lost.

"Thank you, Edward. His father died after we came to New York so I don't know how else to find him. I would very much like your help." He nodded and gave me one of his dazzling smiles leading me back to the table.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Alice asked, concern heavy in her voice.

"Yeah, just disappointed. I thought I saw an old friend, but by the time I got to him he was in a cab driving away." I shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. I didn't want to drag my new friends into all of my drama. "We had a bit of a 'falling out' and I wanted to try to see if we could talk."

She nodded and changed the subject. I think she sensed that I didn't want to talk about it. We all decided to walk off the pizza we had just consumed and headed back to the hotel.

Jasper and Alice were ahead swinging their hands together as he walked and she bounced down the street, occasionally he would lift his arm and she would twirl under it laughing until he swept her up and flung her on his back. She had her arms tightly around his neck giving him kisses on his cheek. They were so cute together and he treated her so tenderly, _that is the kind of love I want_.

Emmett and Rose were glued at the hip, his arm protectively around her. He would lean down and whisper in her ear earning a smack from her. His hand would then smack her on the butt, she'd squeal and then the process would start over again. Their relationship was completely different from Jasper and Alice's, but there was one common factor—they adored each other.

"Whatcha thinking?" That velvety smooth voice asked.

"I was thinking about how in love your siblings are. It's refreshing to see healthy relationships." I said honestly.

"Yes, but it can get pretty disgusting too." He teasingly nudged my shoulder with his. "I can usually only stand to be around Em and Rose for short periods of time. Their physical affection can border pornographic." He smiled lightly. "Alice and Jasper are easier to be around."

He reached out and grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. It felt right. There were no sexual meanings behind it, just a friendly gesture that made my heart long for more.

When we got to the hotel Alice was already on the phone with room service. "What are you ordering? We just ate." Edward complained as Alice shushed him and continued rattling off her order. She got off the phone and ordered everyone in the living room. _She has an extremely pushy side to her. _We all got comfortable as she pulled out the DVD and slid it into the player.

Jasper and Alice were cuddled up on the love seat, Rose and Emmett took up the whole couch with him lying across it with his head in her lap. I sat in the fluffy chair while Edward sat in between my legs leaning up against it. The temptation was too close so I ran my hands through his hair. He let out a small moan and laid his head back against the chair.

"That feels nice." He sighed. With his encouragement I continued running my fingers through his curls, enjoying the small pleasure that I was giving him.

"So what are we watching?" Rose asked looking bored.

"P.S. I love you." Alice practically squealed.

Jasper and Edward groaned, but Emmett rubbed his hands together looking like he hit the jackpot. "What is you guys' problem?" He asked Jasper and Edward. "Two words. Hillary Swank! She was totally hot in that boxing film with Eastwood." He got smacked from Rose for his comment, but it didn't seem to faze him.

"I don't think I've seen either of those movies before." I told them.

"You have got to do something about this girl, Edward," Emmett whined. "Next she'll be telling us that she's never seen Princess Bride." He looked at me trying to confirm if he was correct.

"No, actually I have seen Princess Bride and it's one of my favorites." I sassed back at him.

"Redemption!" Emmett screamed, pumping his arm in the air. "But we have to do something about your movie knowledge."

The snacks arrived about ten minutes into the movie. Alice spared no expense, or should I say the Pacific Northwest Trust spared no expense. She ordered two of every desert on the menu, for us to share. There was also a fruit tray and an assortment of cheese and crackers. I don't think I've ever seen someone that small consume that much.

It was a great movie and I cried hard. It was yet another reminder of love lost. Yes, she moves on in the movie but still…they loved so hard and then it was ripped away from them. I hoped that one day I will have a love to rival Holly and Gerry.

"Let's go, Rose." Emmett said as he pulled her up off of the couch and into his arms. "I have some King Kong fantasies I want to talk to you about."

"Ugh!" Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Yuck!" Alice said grossed out with her brother.

"Please take it outside my hotel room." Edward commanded pointing at the door.

"Catch ya later, peeps." Emmett hollered over his shoulder when they exited the door.

"Alice, I have to go into the office tomorrow. Will you be around to hang out with Bella?" Edward inquired.

"Really Edward, I don't need a babysitter." I said exasperated that he felt I couldn't entertain myself.

"I feel guilty leaving you alone all day. I'd just feel better if you had options."

"Yup," Alice said. "I'll be around all day. We could go shopping." She looked hopefully at me.

"Yeah, we could do that." I agreed.

"Great! I'll pick you up at ten," she said as Jasper pulled her out the door.

Edward and I stood awkwardly in the living room. "Well, I have to get up early, so I'm headed to bed," jhe said off handedly. _Why does bedtime always seem so awkward? _"Are you coming?" He held out his hand.

I placed my hand in his and he led me to our room. It seems weird to think of something as 'ours'. We weren't a couple but it's as if we had been thrown together by some force of nature. I didn't question it too hard because it felt good. Just being with him was comforting and right.

I finished my nightly routine and climbed in beside him. He was almost asleep when I curled up next to him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. "Goodnight, love." He whispered as he placed a kiss on the top of my head.

I got a small thrill when he called me 'love'. He had said it before, but now I wanted it to be true. I wanted him to mean that endearment more than anything. _I__'__m falling for him_. My brain was screaming to run away, that it was too soon. Then there was the fact that he was perfect and I had so much baggage that I couldn't strap him with, even if he did want me in that way.

_I will not be a burden on someone else again. _Jessica's words rang in my ear. '_Maybe now you__'__ll move out and leach off of someone else'._ I refused to be that person, I'd be different.

**Anyway, the purpose of this author's note is to let everyone know that the 9/11 Memorial is ****NOT**** finished. When you go on the websites it has pictures and descriptions. The pictures are so real that I thought they were actual photos not artist renditions. My husband was in NY on 9/11 of this year and said that it's still a huge pit. My chapter was already written and I liked the way it ended so we're going to pretend that the memorial and museum is all complete! **


	9. Kisses and Kindness

**Chapter 9**

**Kisses and Kindness**

**EPOV**

The alarm blared annoyingly at 6:30 to wake me up for my first day back to the New York office. I pulled my heavy arm off of the warm waist of Bella and slammed my hand on the snooze bar hoping that it did't wake her up. She rolled closer to me and snuggled up under my arm.

"It's so early," she moaned into my chest. I couldn't help but chuckle at the whine that was evident in her voice.

"Yes, but you can go back to sleep. It must be nice being a princess and not having any responsibilities." I joked with her.

She turned her head on my chest, giving me an annoyed look as she poked me lightly in the ribs at my jibe. I jumped slightly, remembering the payback that was coming to her from the same rib poking incident yesterday. I quickly flipped her over onto her back as I straddled her legs.

"You've poked me one too many times, my dear." I teased, as I attacked her ribs with persistent fingers, tickling her until she was screaming out to stop. Her laugh was exuberant and full of happiness as she tried to catch her breath. I marveled at the glint that she had in her eyes as she squirmed underneath me and the way her chest heaved rapidly.

"No fair! You're twice as big as I am. I don't stand a chance." She laughed, trying to push me off of her. I complied, but pulled her with me so that she was lying on top of my chest.

"You're a big brute." She teased as she smiled down on me.

She was beautiful in that moment. Her hair was spilling all around us, curtaining us from the outside world. Her small body pressed up against mine sent a wave of desire through me. She noticed the difference in my demeanor; the playfulness was gone and was replaced by a yearning for something more.

The smile slowly faded from her face as I saw the same hunger reflected in her eyes. She slowly leaned closer to me, her eyes locked on my lips. _This is it_. I wanted so badly to kiss her yesterday morning, but she had jumped out of bed too quickly. I also told myself I would not push her. It was getting harder and harder every hour. But here we were, and she was initiating this contact. My heart soared as I waited for her to close the distance. She stopped just inches away from my lips. I could almost hear her mind working, trying to decide if this was a good idea. I had to urge her on. I don't think I could live with any more false starts.

"Bella, please." I whispered, my breath caressing her lips. She opened her eyes slowly and gazed into mine for a moment before closing the gap. Her lips were gentle against mine. I let her set the pace as she opened her mouth, slowly and kissed my bottom lip, gently taking it between her lips. I took her top lip between mine and gently kissed it. My hand trailed up her side and found its way into her hair, holding her more firmly against me. Her tongue slowly traced the inside of my lips, sending a shiver down my spine.

I softly touched my tongue to hers, rubbing it along the length until it was fully in her mouth, swirling passionately with hers. A small whimper escaped her lips and then she was gone. She pulled out of my grasp so quickly that her hair slipped between my fingers and she was standing at the foot of the bed by the time I opened my eyes. The back of her hand was pressed against her mouth, eyes wide.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears starting to glisten in her eyes. I sat up quickly, crawling to the edge of the bed and pulled her into my arms.

"Bella, it's okay." I tried to sooth the panic I saw clearly etched on her face. "I have wanted to do that for awhile."

"But, I don't want it to get weird between us. It's better if we just stay friends and not do this again." I couldn't let her think that what she was saying was even remotely close to what I wanted.

"I want this, Bella. I want you like no other woman I have known. I can and will abide by your decision, but you have to know that I want you." I stroked her back, as I thought about what I had just said. _How do I want her?_ _As a lover? As more? _There was no denying the physical attraction I had for her, but could I want her for something more permanent?

I mentally shook my head. _No, this is just physical._ Then why are you so protective over her? My mind drifted to Tanya for a brief moment and I decided that what Bella and I had was a business arrangement. Nothing more. If I reaped the benefits of her body, then it was just a bonus. However, I couldn't get the gnawing feeling that I was fooling myself to go away.

Bella sat up and smiled gently at me. Bringing her hand up to my cheek then running her fingers across my jaw. "I feel the same way too at times like this." She swept her hand towards the bed. "But I have a lot to contemplate, before I give any part of myself to anyone." She brought her lips to my cheek and tenderly kissed it. "When I'm ready, I'm sure you'll be the first to know." She snuggled back into my chest burying her head under my chin.

The alarm rang again, reminding me that I had things to do today. I shut off the alarm and laid her back down on the bed, pulling the covers back over her. I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead before calling for breakfast and then heading to the shower to mull over the things that have happened.

By the time I got out of the shower, Bella had fallen back to sleep. I quickly dressed and walked over to the bed to take one last look at the angel, sleeping so soundly. I brushed her hair away from her eyes and placed a chaste kiss on her mouth.

"Sweet dreams, love." I whispered before I grabbed a muffin and cup of coffee then slipped out the door.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**BPOV**

It took me a minute to realize where I was. Then, the events from earlier came crashing down around me. _I had kissed Edward._ I could still feel his lips on mine and the spark of electricity that shot through me when our tongues touched.

I knew that Edward wanted me. It was obvious in the sensual way that he moved when he was near me. I couldn't for the life of me understand why, but he did. I wanted him too, more than I probably should. _I__'__m so confused._ My mind was pulsing from the different choices I had to make. I wanted him, so then why did I push him away? It wasn't the fear of rejection, I knew he wanted me. But why? Why and _how _does he want me? Could I have the physical part and not get wrapped up in the emotional stuff? Did I even want to do that? Does he still think of me as a prostitute? If we went in that direction would that confirm that I was a whore?

I shook my head slightly; I knew I couldn't do that. I had more respect for myself and to Edward. I couldn't give myself to someone unless it was love. Sighing I rolled over looking at the clock. I had a half an hour before Alice would get here so I climbed out of bed and took a shower. After I was dressed, I went in to the dining room and found a tray of pastries, muffins and cold coffee. I reheated the coffee and nibbled on a pastry until I heard a knock at the door.

Before I got to the door it opened and Alice bound in quickly. "You are way too chipper for someone who woke this early in the morning." I laughed as she ran over to me and gave me a hug. "Would you like some coffee?" I asked her as she shook her head.

"Does this body look like it needs caffeine?" She smiled widely as she linked her arm in mine. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Then let's get out of here." I said, and no sooner had the words left my mouth, she had hauled me out of the room and down the elevator.

When we arrived in the lobby I heard a very familiar, feminine squeal just a few feet behind me. I turned quickly at the noise as Felix grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me in, brushing his cheek with mine and giving a loud "Mwah" into the air. Stunned, he let go of me and pushed me back so he could get a better look at what I was wearing.

"Mmm mmm. I loved that top. It looks better on you than it did on the mannequin." He said as he examined my chest, making me feel that slight twinge of embarrassment. He turned me carefully until he got a full view of my backside.

"I knew those jeans would look good on your perky little butt." He said as he gave me a smack right on the left cheek. I jumped at the contact. _This boy needs to learn a lesson on personal space_.

"Felix! Stop scaring poor Bella with your gay self." Alice quipped as she linked her arms through both of ours, pulling us through the door and to an awaiting car.

"Oh c'mon, sweetheart, you know I'm just one of the girls. Besides, I'm a butt man, can't keep my hands to myself." He said as he sashayed by the valet, blowing a kiss to him as he climbed in the car. Alice smacked him on the arm.

"You're such a flirt!"

"So what's the plan?" Felix clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly.

"Well…Opening Night is in three days, so we don't have time for anything to be custom made so that leaves us with off the rack." Alice made a slight face at the idea of buying something that stood the chance of another person might own.

"Well then, I say we hit the designers, because it's less likely you'll get a duplicate." Alice nodded her head, agreeing with Felix. I just sat there, not being able to contribute to the conversation.

"Where are we headed?" The driver asked as he pulled out onto the busy street.

"Chanel, first then we'll go to Herms of Paris and get a clutch."

"I love Chanel." Felix's eyes went slightly out of focus and he had a far off look on his face. I just rolled my eyes. _Whatever_. Fashion really wasn't my thing and I had a hard time connecting with their level of excitement over it.

We arrived at the Chanel…what do you call it? Store? I was used to going in and browsing by rack but that is not what I was greeted with. A few dresses were hanging here and there but it looked more like an office than a store.

"Mary Alice!" A woman with big hair and too much make-up sung when we walked in the door. Alice ran over and gave her the traditional air kiss. _This really is a totally different world than the one I live in_. Alice brought her friend over to introduce us.

"Irina, this is my friend Bella, she's in need of an evening gown for Rosalie's opening night." Irina stood back and looked me up and down casually. She clapped her hands.

"I have the perfect dress." She said looking at Alice then ushering me towards a fitting room.

"Strip." Alice ordered as I was left alone in the overly plush room. _Gads!_ Another first, the dressing rooms that I was used to were tiny and had a little bench sticking out of the wall not like the chic' room I walked into. The room was as large as my old bedroom and had several plush chairs. Some chocolates and a pitcher of water with several glasses were sitting on a table between the chairs; a large changing screen was set off to the side for added privacy.

I walked behind the screen, and started to get undressed, when I heard all three of them come into the room.

"Bella, it's perfect." Alice sang as she brought the dress to me behind the screen. I ran my fingers over the beautiful fabric. Nodding my head and getting a little excited about how it would feel against my skin. I took my bra off while Alice helped slide the dress over my head. It felt as wonderful as I thought it would. Alice let out a low whistle as she zipped up the back of the dress.

"Let's see!" Felix growled impatiently at us. I rounded the screen and heard two loud gasps as they got their first look at me.

"Oh my Gawd!" Felix finally spoke. "You are stunning." Alice led me over to the floor length mirrors so I could see what all the excitement was.

To say that I was speechless, would be an understatement. The black silk flowed over my body flawlessly, hugging every curve as it draped over my hips and down my legs. The bodice was slightly gathered in a Grecian style, snuggly holding my breasts in place. I fingered the small crystals that were sewn into a band that wrapped under my bust. I was in awe at the simplicity of the design, the beautiful fabric and how well it looked on me. It was simple, but it had a regal and sweet air to it.

"Edward is going to love it." Alice chimed in after all the opinions died down. There was no tag on the dress, so I had no idea how much it cost, but figured it was probably better that I didn't know. After a couple more hours of buying shoes and a clutch, we were on our way back to the hotel.

"You really should have gotten the Jimmy Choos with the peep toe." Alice pouted as we walked into the room.

"Hey," I warned her as I plopped down on the sofa. "I compromised and got the three inch heels instead. I'd kill myself in a four and a half inch heel!"

"Whatever, Bella. You and I both know that Edward wouldn't let you fall." The thought of Edward holding on to me all night sent a small thrill down my spine.

"So, speaking of Edward. What's going on with you two?" Alice asked as nonchalantly as she could. However, I heard the curiosity lingering thickly in the air.

"I really don't know." I answered truthfully. "He's a really great guy and he seems to have the gallant Knight thing down pat, but I don't know what he thinks of me."

"What do you want from him?" The question was very direct and to the point. Alice certainly didn't like to beat around the bush. It was just really awkward talking to her about her brother. I debated on how much to tell her thinking that I should probably only tell her things that he already knew.

"Listen Alice, I just ended a long relationship with someone. I've got a lot of baggage that I don't really think Edward wants to deal with, nor should he have to. We have an agreement. I'm helping him out while he's helping me get back on my feet. That's all it is." I looked away hoping that the disappointment I felt at uttering these words wouldn't show in my expression.

"I see." I looked back at her as she digested what I had just told her. "I disagree. That's not all it is. I watched you two together yesterday. You move together, it's like you're in tune with what the other needs or feelings. You guys moved like you were one. That kind of chemistry only happens when two people are meant for each other." I shook my head as she launched into her opinion. "Don't shake your head at me." She smirked. "I know what I'm talking about." She smiled and patted me on the shoulder as if I was a confused child that didn't understand. There really was no use arguing with her, so I let it go.

She handed me her cell phone number and told me to call her if I needed anything and then she bounced out the door. All in all, it was a fun day. I really liked Alice and hoped that when this fairytale was over we would still be friends.

Edward came in about an hour later, starved and bearing gifts. I growled at him when he handed me a brand new cell phone.

"I wanted to talk to you today, but I didn't want to go through my nosy sister so I got this, for next time. Really it's not a big deal, I just pulled it from the office and had it added to my plan." He said as he handed me the shiny silver phone.

"Thanks." I said as I slipped it into my pocket, not really sure how I felt about it.

"There's a great deli down the street that serves fabulous meatball sandwiches. Do you want to grab one?" My stomach growled at the thought of food, being the gentleman that he was he ignored it. I, on the other hand, turned red.

"Yeah, that would be great." He took my hand and we walked in a comfortable silence to the deli. He ordered for me and we sank into a booth.

"So how was your shopping trip with Alice?"

"It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. She can be so pushy." I laughed

"You don't know the half of it." Then he launched into stories where Alice would dictate everything from the clothes that he wore to the girls that he dated in high school.

"When Emmett was a senior in high school he started calling her Little Hitler." I giggled at the visual of Alice bossing Emmett around. "She didn't know he nicknamed her until several people in school let it slip. She was so mad she sewed up all of his socks." He was in tears as he relayed the story, causing me to laugh hard along with him.

Our conversation was light and comfortable during dinner. We talked a lot about his family and a little about Jacob and some of the silly things that we had done as kids.

"I need to get as much information about Jacob as you can give me and I'll run it by some of my connections and see if we can find him." He said sincerely as he held my hand lightly, rubbing circles on the top of my hand. I relayed everything I knew from a few months ago as he typed it in his phone and then sent it off.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me find him."

"Don't thank me yet. Hopefully, he hasn't left New York. If he has it will be a lot more difficult. But, not impossible." He rushed on, trying to reassure me.

We walked hand in hand back to our room where we hung out watching movies until Edward had to call it a night. Curled up next to him, as he slept I couldn't help but wonder what a life with him would be like. I fell asleep dreaming of bronze haired children running in a large meadow where a large white house hung in the distance.

I woke up the next morning and he was gone. I pulled myself out of bed and got ready for the day. A note from Edward was sitting on the bathroom counter.

_Bella,_

_I didn__'__t want to wake you, you were sleeping so soundly. I__'__ve left money by your phone so you__'__re not stuck in the hotel all day. Call me if you need anything. I should be back early today, probably around 3:00. _

_Miss you already,_

_Edward_

As I sat down to eat breakfast I pulled out the paper and started looking through the classified ads, circling jobs that I was qualified for. By the time I was finished I had about ten prospective positions that I was interested in. I changed into more presentable business clothes, grabbed my phone, and took only forty dollars of the ridicules amount of money Edward left by my phone.

I ran down to the business center in the hotel and spent two hours perfecting my resume'. I printed several copies and headed for my first destination. I spent the remainder of the day dropping off resumes and speaking with some of the human resources managers.

Out of the eight places that I applied for only two, I was over qualified for. The other six were like my first job. Two were with law firms dealing in mergers and acquisitions. One was with a Business Analysis firm, and three were in various business management groups. I was trying to catch a cab back to the hotel, when my phone began to ring.

A picture of Edward flashed across my phone, a goofy grin on his face. I laughed out loud, wondering when he had taken the picture.

"Hello, silly man." I laughed answering my phone.

"Silly man? I was hoping for _handsome _or maybe _Greek God_, _Adonis_, wouldn't have been so bad either."

"Then you shouldn't have programmed that cheesy picture in my phone."

"Oh, you liked that did you?" A small chuckle coming through the phone. I could picture his lopsided smirk gracing his lips.

"Where are you? I came back to the room early and you weren't here." I didn't want him to know I was looking for a job yet. It would be easier if I didn't have to deal with his disappointment along with my own.

"I was looking for some jewelry to go with my new dress." I was amazed at the lie that rolled off of my tongue so easily.

"Oh, did you find something?" he asked.

"No, I think I'll pass on the jewelry." Hoping that will end the subject.

"So, when do you think you'll be back?" I finally got a cabbie to stop and climbed in.

"I should be there in about five minutes." I told the cabbie where to take me and turned my attention back to the man with the velvet voice.

"Great! I have a surprise for you when you get here."

"Edward." I whined. "I hate surprises."

"You'll like this one. Just hurry up and get here, I missed you today." My heart fluttered at his admission. We talked briefly about his day then we said our goodbyes as the cab pulled up in front of the hotel.

I opened the door to a very well dressed Edward. He had on a dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt, his tie hung loosely around his neck.

"I'm giving you fifteen minutes to get dressed, we are going to dinner." He said with authority. "You might want to wear what I laid out on the bed." _And I thought Alice was pushy. Guess it runs in the family!_

I walked in the bedroom curious by what he would have picked out. Lying on the bed, was a pretty green dress with white trimming along the mid length sleeves and collar. It had a wide white leather belt and small pleats along the skirt. It fell just below my knees. It was lovely and of course, it fit perfectly. _This must be one of Felix__'__s ensembles_. A pair of two inch white leather pumps completed the outfit. I couldn't help but twirl in the mirror as the skirt flared slightly with the motion.

Edward knocked on the bedroom door when it was time to leave. I ran past him and in the bathroom to throw on some lipstick and pulled my hair back into a clip. Edward was standing in the doorway watching me flutter around the bathroom. After I was convinced that I couldn't do anymore I turned to see a curious look on his face.

"What?" I asked looking down at my dress making sure the skirt wasn't tucked into my underwear. When everything looked in place I looked up again questioningly.

"You look beautiful." He said in a reverent tone.

I blushed when I realized that his scrutinizing stare was actually approval. His compliment also had my stomach doing flip flops at the thought that he thought I was beautiful.

"Thank you." I said as he held out his hand. He led me to the Peacock Ally located in the North Lobby of the hotel.

"Reservations for Cullen." He told the hostess when she looked up. Her eyes lingered a moment longer than they should have and I rolled my eyes at his effect on her. He didn't seem to notice. There's something extremely attractive about a man that is humble. He placed his hand on my lower back guiding me as we followed the hostess to our table.

She stopped in front of a table with a man with long black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail and set the menus down next to him. My breath caught in my throat when the man turned around and smiled at me.

Jacob.

I stopped in my tracks and stared open mouthed at Jacob. I vaguely heard Edward whisper in my ear and give me a gentle push forward. Jacob, noticing my stunned expression got up and walked over to me.

"Bella." He whispered as he enfolded me into his embrace. My arms wrapped around his waste and the tears fell as we stood in the middle of the dining room holding each other close.

"I think we should probably have a seat." Edward urged as Jake released his hold on me. Jake took my hand and led me to the table a great big smile on his face. Edward held my chair as I sat down, still stunned speechless.

"Well Bells, I remember you being a bit more talkative." He joked, giving me a small nudge. I looked at Edward.

"You found him? How did you do it?" I asked still shocked by the fact that I had my best friend sitting at the same table as me.

"If Jacob here hadn't been registered for a business permit, it might've been more difficult. I have connections in the State department." He casually added.

"You own a business?" How much has changed in a year? I looked at him and he nodded.

"Yup. I finally opened up my own garage. I specialize in restoring exotic cars." I was thrilled to hear that he finally got what he always dreamed of but sad because I missed out on being his cheerleader.

"Wow, Jake, a lot has changed." Melancholy edged my voice as I tried to smile.

"Yeah, a lot." He lifted up his hand and I saw a shiny gold band wrapped around his ring finger. "I got married three weeks ago."

My heart was singing for him. He deserved someone special to take care of him. "Tell me about her." I said eager to hear all the details that I missed.

"Her name's Mae. She's beautiful and funny and I know you'd love her. She knows all about you and can't wait to meet you." I couldn't help but wonder if she knew how I broke his heart when I dissolved our friendship. My heart ached.

"Jake, I have to apologize for everything that happened." My voice broke as I tried to fight the tears from surfacing.

"It's all water under the bridge, Bells. Edward explained things so that I'd come here tonight. I knew what that bastard was doing to you before he split up our friendship, I should have fought harder to make you see." A single tear slipped out of the corner of my eye, I felt Edward's hand squeeze my knee under the table in reassurance. I smiled at him to let him know that I was okay.

"Jake, there really isn't any excuse for what I did, but it's just like you to take the blame. Please except my apology, it was the biggest mistake I have ever made."

"Forgiven, now what's on the menu? I'm starvin'." Edward and I chuckled at his enthusiasm.

We spent the remainder of the evening catching up on what has happened in our lives over the past year. I learned a little more about Edward when they talked about cars. Jake seemed impressed that he owned some car that James Bond drove in the last movie. Car talk just makes my head spin. I learned to be quite efficient at nodding my head and acting interested when Jake would talk about cars. That very skill came in handy now.

In the beginning of our dinner, I could see Jake sizing Edward up. The typical questions about his job and family seemed to be tinged with a hint of skepticism. Edward graciously answered all of Jake's probing questions until Jake finally relaxed and enjoyed the rest of dinner. We left the restaurant and walked toward the elevators. Jake gave me a hug and told me to call him if I needed anything. I nodded and kissed him lightly on the cheek. I watched him until he stepped outside and then I turned to Edward, throwing myself into his arms.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you." He held me tighter in his arms and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"It's enough just to see you happy." He kissed gently under my ear and then pulled away, taking me by the hand and into the elevator.

How could one man be so perfect?


	10. Scheming Strategies and Invitations

**Chapter 10**

**Scheming Strategies and Invitations**

**BPOV**

My heart was soaring as we rode the elevator to our room. Edward took my hand and brought it to his lips, brushing it lightly. I smiled at the sweet gesture and took my free hand around his waist, pressing my face into his chest. He gently removed his fingers from mine and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, bringing me closer as I shifted so I could look up at him.

"Thank you so much for bringing Jake back." I could feel the tears starting to pool in my eyes so I looked quickly down, burying my head back in his chest.

"Anything for you, love," he said as he stroked my hair. The elevator stopped at our floor and we walked hand in hand to the door.

It was still early so Edward lit the fireplace and pulled a table and a couple of plush chairs in front of it. I stared at what he was doing, curiously, wondering what he had planned. Edward motioned for me to take a seat while he went to the closet, and pulled out a beautiful wooden chess set.

"Do you know how to play chess?" He asked as he started pulling out the pieces and setting up the board. My first thought was to tell him the truth that I was on the chess club in high school. But then I thought about the fun I could have with him, so I shook my head.

"No, I've never played before." I smirked inwardly, if only he knew about the first place trophy currently stored away that I had received in high school.

"It's really a game of strategy." He then proceeded to explain the game in the simplest form, writing down the directions that each piece could move for me. I would occasionally ask questions, while discreetly plotting a little strategy of my own.

"Do you think you know enough to get started?" I gave him my most innocent look and nodded.

The game started off slowly while I positioned myself to take his king, Edward still being unsuspecting and clueless.

"So, I wanted to let you know that my parents are flying in Friday for the anniversary party for the New York office." Smiling slyly at me as he pushed his knight where I wanted it. _This is too easy_.

"Really…You've told me a lot about your siblings but almost nothing about your parents. I remember you saying that your dad was a doctor but that's about it." I moved my queen and took his knight. He looked slightly surprised at the move.

"That was a good move; I didn't even see it coming." He confessed, as he focused on the board more closely.

"Was it?" I asked, playing the innocent card yet again. He ran his fingers through his hair. He must have realized that he only had a few moves to get out of the situation he had put himself in.

"Carlisle is pretty amazing. He invented a "power knee," which was the first motor-powered prosthetic. He sold his idea to the military to help with the wounded veterans coming home from the Gulf and ended up donating most of the proceeds to the Walter Reed Military Hospital to help vets get back on their feet, literally."

"Wow, so genius runs in the blood?" Shaking his head, he chuckled, moving his queen and trying to block the attack that was inevitable.

"No, he's not my biological father. I was adopted as a baby." I decided to move my bishop, so that he would take it, giving him a false sense of security.

"Does it bother you that you were adopted?" I hurried on to explain. "I mean, some people feel resentment towards their birth parents for giving them up." _Sheesh Bella, lose your compassion?_ He waved his hand at me, dismissing my worry over the directness of the question.

"Not at all. Sometimes I'm curious about them but my parents told me that they were really young, so I'm grateful to them for doing the right thing."

"Did your parents meet them?"

"No." He took my bishop, with a smug smile on his face. _Oh, I can__'__t wait to wipe that smile of his handsome face._

"So, let's have a little wager on this game." He looked at me slightly surprised.

"I don't think that would be fair for you." He had so much confidence. He didn't even realize I was two moves away from squashing him.

"I can hold my own. What do you want to bet on?" _Make it good. Make it good. _I chanted in my mind.

"Hmmm, anything?" He had much too devious of a smile on his face.

"Within reason." I stated giving him a warning glare.

"If I win, you give me another kiss, not just any kiss, an _amazing_ kiss." He requested, smirking.

My mouth dropped open and I stared at him, as a wicked smile lit across his features. _I may throw the game if he keeps looking at me like that. _I had to clear my throat to get the squeak out of it, before I made a fool of myself.

"All right. If I win you have to do whatever I say for twenty-four hours." He clapped his hands together, rubbing them vigorously, then he pointed at the board.

"It's your move." He was intently staring at the board, as if staring at it would make his pieces fall into place.

I moved my queen and with a triumphant smile said. "Check". I looked up from my victorious move and was confused by the look on his face. He was smiling at me like he knew a secret that I didn't, his gaze scrutinizing me.

"You are a big fibber, Isabella." I tried to keep my cool at being caught.

"Whatever do you mean?" I said in my best Scarlett O'Hara voice.

"You've played chess before. You are too good to not know what you are doing." He leaned over the board so that he was inches from my face before he continued.

"Checkmate, my dear." He said in a breathy whisper, the sweet smell of him dazzling my senses briefly before I realized what he had just said. My eyes snapped to the board and sure enough he had me.

"Nooooo! How did you do that?" I stomped my foot in agitation. "I had you!" His shoulders were shaking hard as he watched me throw my temper tantrum. I gave him a swift kick under the table at laughing at me.

"Now who's the brute?" He rubbed his shin, laughing.

"You cheated." I pouted as I turned away from him.

"It's not my fault you're so unobservant. Now, I have a prize to claim." He stood up and swiftly pulled me out of the chair. I was stunned at how quickly he had me in his arms. _If this was what losing entailed, I wouldn__'__t mind doing it all over again._

The fireplace crackled and I was acutely aware of all of my senses. My chest was pressed up against his and one arm was wrapped tightly around my waist while his other hand was sliding from my shoulder up to my neck pulling my even closer. His warm breath blew across my lips caressing them softly. He smelled like honey with a touch of red wine. His eyes didn't hold the mirth that was there a minute ago, instead it was replaced by a fire that I had come to recognize as desire.

"Bella," he whispered against my lips as he lightly brushed his mouth with mine. I gave in with my whole being when he said my name; it was a whisper as if he was making love to me. I could not resist him, I didn't want to. His hand that was on my neck threaded in my hair and he aggressively took my lips with his.

His mouth opened and I followed his lead as his tongue entered my mouth. A small shudder shook my body at the contact and I felt him smile against my lips as he continued to stroke my tongue with his. I slid my hands up his well defined arms and pulled him even closer; a small moan came from between his lips and into my mouth by the full body contact. I knew that if this didn't stop soon I wouldn't be able to. He broke the kiss and started kissing a trail down my neck. That's when I pulled back, keeping him at an arms distance.

Breathing heavily I tried to compose my thoughts enough to speak. "Well, Mr. Cullen, I think you've claimed your prize." He groaned loudly, showing his displeasure as he dropped his arms from around me and fell back into his chair. His fingers rubbed his forehead and then pulled them through his hair.

"Edward." He held up his had as if to stop me from continuing.

"Go to bed Bella." He growled at me.

I blinked a few times, trying to digest what he said. I turned on my heel and went to our room without a word, not wanting to push his control any further than I already had. I closed the door and leaned against it, lightly pressing my fingers to my lips, still feeling the passion that had just passed through them.

I quickly got dressed and went to the bathroom to finish my evening routine. I chanced a glance out the door to see Edward sitting in the same chair he was in before, staring at the fire, a bottle of brandy and a glass now on the table where the chess game once was. It felt like things were changing between us. It was the hardest thing I had ever done pulling away from him. _Why exactly did I pull away? _The reasons were harder to remember the more time I spent time with him.

**EPOV**

_I need a drink_.

I ran my hands through my hair for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes, tugging on it tightly wanting to feel any little bit of pain to help forget about the little nymph in the bedroom. I shoved all the pieces to the chess set back in the box and set it on the floor then I stood up and went to the bar pulling out a bottle of brandy and a glass. I poured a glass and downed it quickly before pouring another one and walking over to the chair and plopping down, bottle still in hand.

I tried to slowly drown all thoughts of Bella from my mind. _It wasn__'__t working_. Why was I so drawn to her? She constantly surprised me. I never knew what she would say next. One moment she was shy and the next she was a vixen. She would pull me closer and then when I was too close shove me away. Just like the kiss. I knew she wanted it as much as I did. Her reaction was proof enough. She was so responsive and…and…perfect.

"Grrrrrrrrr!" My frustrated growl slipped from my mouth as I continued to stare at the fire. Why am I denying this? Why is she? My hand curled around the bottle as I brought it to the glass, pouring another drink. In one shot it was sliding down my throat.

Her depth surprised me. She has a kind heart and serving spirit. I was thoroughly impressed by her willingness to volunteer during the 911 crisis. She didn't mind getting dirty. She went where she was needed, with no thought to public recognition. The compassion was pouring out of her at the memorial; she had said that the hardest part was watching other people suffer.

My mind traveled back to Tanya and how her acts of service were usually only done if she could wear four inch heels and there was a cameraman waiting close by. She would have never been caught working in a kitchen feeding the relief workers. I can't believe I married such a shallow woman.

_Bella is __definitely not Tanya._

I only wished that I would have met Bella before I married Tanya. Unfortunately, wishes only come true in fairytales. But what would I have done? Would I have married Bella? I scoffed at the thought and downed another glass of brandy.

That would suggest that I loved her. _Did I?_ I know that I have an extremely strong attraction to her, but love? I wanted to keep her safe and protect her from the outside world. If I could keep her here with me I would, but soon I'll have to return back to Washington. Then what? Would I see her again? The thought of not seeing Bella again made my heart squeeze painfully.

My thoughts continued like this for hours, the more liquor I drank, the more it kept my heart from feeling anything. I woke up a few hours later sitting in the chair, still feeling the effects of drinking half a bottle of brandy and stumbled into the bedroom, pulling my clothes off and leaving a trail from the living room to the bedroom where I collapsed, face down, on the bed in nothing but my boxers.

Small warm hands were touching my back, running up and down the muscles in a deliciously sinful way. I raised my head to be met with warm brown eyes staring at me. I flipped over onto my back and her hands moved to my chest grazing over my abs and up towards my shoulders.

Bella leaned down and hungrily took my lips. This wasn't the sweet kiss that we shared earlier, this one was filled with every unspoken desire I had for this woman. I broke the kiss, pulling her down on top of me so I could reach her neck easier.

She moaned in pleasure as I took her earlobe into my mouth, sucking lightly. She pulled away from me, a wicked grin on her face as she placed a kiss on my chest, above my heart.

"Do you know what I'm going to do to you, Mr. Cullen?" _Why is it when she called me Mr. Cullen I instantly got hard?_ She continued downward and placed another small kiss in the center of my chest, looking up at me quickly as I watched her caressing my body with her lips. I shook my head, answering her question, knowing that if I spoke now it probably wouldn't sound very masculine.

Bella placed another kiss on my stomach just above my naval. "I'm going to kiss you all over." _B__eep. Beep. Beep._

The alarm sounded in my ear making my head throb with the pulsing beep. I groggily slapped the stupid thing, knocking it off the nightstand. I let out a long frustrated groan. _It was only a damn dream! _

I groaned as I rolled over to a wide eyed Bella. She looked slightly panicked. _Why would she be panicky?_ I flipped over onto my stomach and buried my head under the pillow. I could not look at her right now. Not after the way I had just imagined her ready and willing.

Her warm hand touched my shoulder softly, _just like in my dream._

"Edward?" she whispered

"Go back to sleep Bella." My tone was clipped with annoyance at myself for the things I was thinking about her, and for drinking as much as I did last night. My head throbbed and I knew there was no way I was going into work until this headache was gone.

"Don't you need to go into the office?"

"Later, now go back to sleep." Her hand slid off of my skin and I became acutely aware that I had a breeze on my legs. I lifted my head enough to look down and saw that they were completely bare except for the silky boxers that covered my rear.

I growled as I tried to maneuver under the covers, shooting pains ran through my head with every movement. When I got settled under the covers I felt the bed slightly shake and then heard a sniff from the woman next to me. I pulled the pillow quickly off of my head and stared at the shaking shoulders of Bella. _Damn, I did it again! _ How the hell do I keep doing this to this poor girl? I reached out and pulled her against my chest, brushing her hair carefully away from her face.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." She shook her head violently a small sob escaping her lips.

"It's not your fault, Edward. I just don't want anything to come between us."

"Nothing will. Look, I have a raging headache from one to many drinks last night. I didn't mean to snap at you, I just need to sleep a little longer because I have to go into the office today." I had a meeting later that day with Mr. Kinsley and his management team, but that wasn't until two o'clock.

"This is what I was referring to when I said that things would get weird," she said.

I plopped my head back onto the pillow, she was talking about last night. Thankfully she didn't know what I was just about to do to her in my dream. She thought the kiss made things awkward, I'd hate to hear what she would say to the direction those thoughts were going in.

"Bella, it was just a kiss. A kiss done on a bet, it doesn't mean anything. Stop beating yourself up over it. It happened and if it makes you feel this bad, it won't happen again."

She warned me that she wasn't ready to take our friendship to the next level, and I had to push it. I was mentally kicking myself at my impatience. I had only thought about what I wanted when I made that bet with her. Now I've probably pushed her too far. She may never open up to me again. Was I any better than that scum Mike? I forced my will upon her without thought to her feelings. She can be so confident and strong at times that I sometimes forget that underneath it all lays a woman with extremely low self worth.

She sniffed and nodded her head. _What was she agreeing to? Not doing it again or not beating herself up over it? _My head was throbbing too hard to ponder what was going on in her mind. She got up out of bed and went into the bathroom. She returned a few minutes later with aspirin and a glass of water. I gladly took it then rolled back onto my stomach. She climbed back into bed and snuggled up into my side. I sighed knowing there wasn't anything I could do now to fix the mess I had made. I would have to figure out another way to make it up to her. _Jewelry. That__'__s it. Women like jewelry_. These were my last thoughts before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

A few hours later I woke up to an empty bed. I pulled myself out of bed making note that the headache had subsided, but wasn't completely gone. I grabbed a robe out of the bathroom and went into the living room.

"Bella?" She didn't respond. I looked in the dining area and she wasn't there either. _Oh, no. I didn__'__t upset her so bad that she left, did I? _ I groaned as I went back into the bedroom to find my phone. Under my phone was a note. I read it and instantly relaxed.

_Edward,_

_I had errands to run this afternoon. I__'__ll see you when you get back from work. _

_Bella_

_P.S. Sorry about this morning._

Relief swept through me when I realized she was coming back. I made my way into the bathroom and took a steaming hot shower. The heat helped to ease my headache so I got dressed, grabbed an apple out of the fruit basket and headed to work.

I got in the office around one o'clock and had just enough time to get a briefing from our lawyer and meet with Emmett.

"You look like hell, little bro."

"Thanks Em, just what one loves to here when one is closing the biggest deal of the year." I sarcastically threw at him.

"Chill, man. What's up? Why do you look like death warmed over?" he inquired.

"Brandy."

"Who's Brandy? I thought your hot new plaything's name was Bella." I growled at him impatiently.

"I drank too much last night and Bella is not a plaything." I was on my last nerve and Emmett was going to wind up getting the brunt of my anger. He must have realized that I was not in the mood for one of his jibes, so he moved on to the meeting.

"Mr. Kingsley is bringing in his management team so we can meet them and get a better feel for what they do. He'll also be signing all the paperwork today." I nodded my head. This is always the hardest part, meeting the management teams and having to decide who stays and who goes. Most of the time businesses fail it is due to poor management.

I went back into my office and awaited the meeting by lying down on the couch in my office with my arm over my eyes. I could still see her hovering over me while her lips…_Stop it, Edward._ I could not get the visual out of my mind. Every time I closed my eyes I would see her in one compromising position or another.

I sat up, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers and rubbing slightly. I'm acting like a sex crazed boy. Hundreds of beautiful women threw themselves at me daily and not one of them has had the effect that this shy, broken girl has had on me.

Emmett came and got me when it was time to meet with the new clients. We walked into the conference room and sitting in the middle of the long table was Mr. Kingsley. He immediately stood, walking over to us to shake our hands. Once all the pleasantries were over we all sat down. Mr. Kingsley had brought several of his corporate executives, his lawyer and four of his division managers.

"How's that great girl of yours?" Mr. Kingsley asked me as we were getting seated.

"She's fantastic, thank you."

"Glad to hear it. Please tell her hello for me." I nodded my head and chuckled at the thought of Mr. Kingsley being slightly smitten with Bella.

"So, Mr. Kingsley, why don't you tell us what your current projects are so we can get a feel for what will be needed in the near future." I threaded my fingers together and leaned back in the chair, waiting for him to begin.

"We have several projects started already. The most extensive is our sporting goods division. We have opened several chain stores and have four more planned in the next year."

"Who's in charge of getting them up and running?" Mr. Kingsley pointed to a blonde man sitting at the end of the table.

"Mike Newton has just recently taken over. Mike, why don't you tell Mr. Cullen what has been planned for the upcoming year." Mike had a deer in the headlights look on his face. I could smell incompetence a mile away, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He stuttered through his ideas for the future of his department and I found them lacking in several areas.

"Mr. Newton, what is it you did before you took over this department?" I inquired.

"I worked in the marketing department of the sporting goods chain." Ahhh…just as I suspected, he was under qualified for the job he was in. I could tell by his demeanor that he was flying by the seat of his pants.

"So is this your first time working with Mr. Kingsley?"

"Yes, I started a few days ago." Well maybe he's just getting his bearings. Then to be thrown to the wolves in your first week at a new job can be daunting. I made a mental note to watch his department closely over the coming months but I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

I turned back to Mr. Kingsley and he continued filling us in on the companies that he still possessed. Our lawyers had all the paperwork signed and finished by the time our meeting ended. Emmett and I walked them out to the lobby.

"Well Mr. Kingsley, welcome to the Pacific Northwest Trust family." I said as I shook his hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen, I'm looking forward to our partnership." He said genuinely.

"Don't forget, this Saturday is our New York branch's fifth anniversary party. We would love to have you and your staff attend," Emmett reminded him.

"Fantastic, who doesn't love a party," Mr. Kingsley said enthusiastically.

"Great, I'll have my secretary send you all of the details." Emmett shook his hand one more time then went back towards his office. I went over and shook all of his staff's hands and welcomed them under the PNT umbrella before I made my way back to my office.

Emmett knocked on my door. "Hey, you got a minute?" I waved him in.

"So what did you think?" We always had these chat sessions when a large merger happened, but they usually happened over the phone. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink.

"Well, most of the divisions seem to have it together. But—"

"The sporting goods division." Emmett finished my sentence for me. "Yeah, I got the same impression."

"We'll have to watch it over the next few months and see where it goes." I commented, not wanting to end the program before it had a chance to start. Emmett shook his head.

"You sometimes need to be more cut throat Edward." Emmett commented letting out a loud bark of laughter. "You're just too nice sometimes. We both know that that Mike guy isn't qualified to do his job."

"I just don't like ending someone's lively hood on a whim. I always believed that if you put high expectations on people they usually try to live up to them. I'm willing to give him a chance and see what happens. Besides, what if he has a family, kids? Mr. Kingsley obviously saw something in him so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves otherwise."

"Whatever you say, boss." Emmett finished his drink and went to the door, pausing before he went out.

"When are you gonna tell me what's up with Bella?"

I shook my head blowing him off again. "There's nothing much to tell."

"I think you like her a lot more than you're letting on." He smiled slightly before walking out the door.

I finished up the paperwork that was on my desk and went back to the hotel. Bella was curled up on the couch with a book when I arrived. Half empty Chinese food containers were on the coffee table.

"I hope you like Chinese food; I didn't know when you were going to be back so I ordered in."

"That's fine, I'm just going to eat and then go climb in bed." I told her as I filled a plate.

"You really shouldn't drink that much." She chastised me with a playful smirk.

"Yes mother. I'll remember that next time." My sarcastic comment sent her into a fit of giggles. We chatted lightly until I finished dinner, and then I went and crawled into bed, glad to see this long day over.

**And…****by popular demand we have the ever charming Mike added back into the story. Honestly, my first idea was just to leave him as a horrible little man that haunted Bella's memories but you guys were ready to lynch him so I couldn't let him off the hook so easily. So….let's have some fun with him, shall we? **


	11. Royal Treatment

**Chapter 11**

**Royal Treatment**

**BPOV**

I lay in bed after he fell back asleep staring at the mystery man I shared a bed with. _Why did I let him get to me so easily?_ I was so confident around him last night and he had disarmed me at how well he could read me. I still couldn't understand how he had won that game.

His sighs and moans woke me up this morning. He had come in early this morning and then passed out, at the time I was too tired to notice what he was wearing. When I opened my eyes I was in a bit of shock to find a gloriously half naked man lying beside me. _My daydreams didn__'__t do him justice_. I found myself admiring the hard lines of his bare back, traveling down to his perfectly formed tush, barely clad in thin silky boxers.

I quietly crawled out of bed trying not to disturb him. He didn't move. _Poor guy drank himself_ _silly last night_. All because of…_why?_ Me? He seemed so irritated with me this morning. I hated having him mad at me. It's just another reason why we have to keep this arrangement platonic. We had one kiss and almost immediately, things had become weird between us. _ But what an incredible kiss it was. _

After I dressed quickly I sat down with the newspaper again, checking to see if there were any more jobs that I wanted to apply to. I circled the ones that had potential, left a note for Edward, grabbed my resumes and ran out the door. I had applied to the remaining employment prospects on my list and headed back to the hotel. It was four o'clock by the time I reached the hotel, and I realized I hadn't eaten anything all day. I ordered in and pulled out the new book I had bought today at the bookstore I applied at. Edward came in a couple of hours later.

He looked exhausted but seemed to be feeling better than he did this morning. I was pleased to see that things were back to normal. Our conversation was light and he was pleasant. It didn't surprise me when he turned in early. I stayed up and read until I fell asleep on the couch.

I woke up early to being carried into the bedroom.

"What's going on?" I mumbled incoherently.

"I'm taking you to bed." Even in my half drowsy state, I felt a flutter to those words. He gently laid me down and then walked away.

"What're you doing?" I asked as he walked over to the closet.

"I need to go into the office for awhile." He said as he pulled out a suit and went into the bathroom to change.

I was just starting to doze off again when I felt weight on the bed next to me. His warm hand brushed across my cheek.

"Bella?" I opened my eyes. "We have dinner reservations at five so I'll be here by four to change so we can go." I nodded my head in understanding then closed my eyes. I felt his soft, warm lips on my cheek.

"Bye, love."

I tried to go back to sleep but it was impossible with the feel of his lips still on my cheek. I spent the morning reading and making phone calls to the jobs I had applied for. I was excited to have set up two interviews for the next week. My phone rang, when I looked at the caller ID, Alice's name flashed across the screen.

"Hello?"

"Bella, I'm on my way over now." Her voice flitted through the phone.

"Why?"

"Didn't Edward tell you I was coming over?" she asked, slightly irritated.

"No, he failed to mention it."

I heard Alice growl on the other end. "I'll deal with my brother later. I'm coming over to help you get ready for tonight. I'll see you in ten." Then she hung up before I could say anything more.

Ten minutes later she was bouncing through the door with shopping bags full of miscellaneous beauty products.

"How did you get in?" I asked, remembering that she had let herself in last time too. Alice pointed at herself.

"Cullen." She said flippantly and then waved a key card in front of me. _What Alice wants, Alice gets._ I couldn't be angry at her because it was obvious that no one ever told her no. If she wanted a key, she got one. Besides, I've seen the famous pout. I can't imagine what the poor front desk guy went through if she unleashed her full charms on him to get her way.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon primping. She painted my nails blood red. When I went to object to the loud color she just waived a hand dismissively at me.

"No arguing, I know what's best when it comes to this." I couldn't argue with her about that so I went along.

She set my hair in large curlers and then started in on the makeup. _I hope she doesn__'__t decide my makeup needs to be as obnoxious as my nails._ When she was finished with my face she started pulling curlers out. She wouldn't let me look until she was completely finished. With a small smirk, she told me to close my eyes and led me over to the mirrors.

"Okay, open your eyes."

I stared at the woman in the mirror and was taken aback by my appearance. Alice had pulled the front of my hair back in a pretty black clip, some wisps of hair escaped to frame my face gently. While the back was loose with lots of large curls. The makeup was natural but my eyes had a slight smoky look to them with a touch of tinted lip gloss.

"You look fantastic Bella." I gave a small nod, still amazed at the transformation from plain Bella to beautiful Bella. I didn't think I would feel so self-conscious standing next to my overly handsome date now.

"You really are a miracle worker, Alice."

"Don't be ridiculous. I just brought out the beauty that was already there." She smiled at me and told me to get dressed. As I was headed for the closet my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Isabella Swan?" A deep, rough voice asked

"Yes, this is her." My curiosity raised.

"This is Riley Stevens from Manhattan Trust, I was looking over your resume and I'd like to set up an interview with you."

"Sure, Mr. Stevens, when would you like to meet?" Excitement was evident in my voice. This was the company that I most wanted to hear from.

"How about next week, say…Monday morning at nine?"

"That should be fine." We ended the conversation with the usual pleasantries. When I pressed 'end' on my phone I began jumping up and down, small squeals occasionally slipping out in my enthusiasm.

"What is it Bella?" Alice came into the room, eyebrows raised in confusion.

"I have a job interview!" I said breathlessly. I immediately realized my mistake. I didn't want Edward to know about this step yet. At least not until I actually get a job.

"Please, Alice. Don't say anything to Edward yet." I fidgeted nervously. "I don't want to disappoint him if I don't get the job. My own disappointment will be overwhelming as it is, I don't want to see the pity in his eyes too." She looked taken aback.

"Bella, Edward will be nothing but supportive. You really should tell him."

"I will, but not until I get a job. Alice please, do this for me. I need to do this on my own."

She seemed to understand my need for independence and agreed. She helped me get into my dress, zipping it up for me, then handed me the shoes. I groaned at having to wear heals but knew that it completed the dress perfectly. I slid them on and then she walked me over to mirror. The dress was just as beautiful as it was when I tried it on. The full effect of being completely done up was dazzling. I smiled at Alice in the mirror.

"Thank you Alice." I said sincerely. A loud gasp drew my attention away from Alice. In the mirror, I saw Edward standing in the doorway. I turned to face him slowly.

"You look ravishing, Bella." He quickly turned away and muttered something about having to get ready. I looked at Alice and she just shrugged her shoulders as she gathered her things back in the bags and walked towards the door.

"We'll see you at the theater at seven. Don't forget to put the lip gloss in your bag." She said as an afterthought while she opened the door.

"Thanks again, Alice." She nodded her head and then was gone. I stood in the entryway not really knowing what to do next.

"Bella, can you come here a minute?" Edward called from the bedroom. I slowly walked towards the room, not wanting to trip over my feet in these shoes.

I stopped in the doorway as he was finishing up with his tie. He saw me in the mirror and waved me over. He turned towards me when I got close. His tie was slightly crooked so without thinking I reached up and started to fix it. I could feel his warmth radiating off of him as I focused on the tie. When it was sufficiently straight, I looked up into his smiling eyes. The heat crept up to my cheeks and I knew that I was pink.

"Thanks," he said in that velvety voice that made me melt. He turned back to the dresser and pulled out a velvet box a little bigger than a CD case and handed it to me.

"I think this will look beautiful with your dress." He urged me to open it. I gave him a perplexed look and he just motioned for me to open it again. I slowly opened the lid and had to catch my breath. Laid in the velvet lining was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I had ever seen. I snapped the lid closed quickly and handed it back to him.

"I can't accept this." When he didn't take it from me I moved to lay it on the dresser. He caught my arm and started to chuckle.

"Bella, it's not a gift, it's on loan." I was confused at his statement.

"What do you mean?"

"The necklace and earrings are on loan from the jeweler for tonight. I thought it would look nice on you." He ran his hand from my cheek down my neck giving me goose bumps.

"Please, just try them on." Edward took the box from my hand and opened it so I could get a better look at it.

The necklace had several rather large rubies with eight small diamonds circling each stone. The earrings matched the stones on the necklace. I ran my fingers across them admiring the beauty of it. I looked up at him and he had a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Do you like them?" He asked to which I nodded immediately.

"They are very beautiful. Which king did you steal the crown jewels from?" He removed the necklace from the box and placed it around my neck, brushing my hair away so he could latch the clasp. It was heavier than I had anticipated. He chuckled at my attempt at a joke.

"I have a friend that has several jewelry stores in the area. He loans out expensive pieces to his celebrity clients, so I called in a favor."

"Expensive? How expensive?"

"These pieces are insured for two hundred fifty thousand."

"What? A quarter of a million dollars? I can't possibly wear this."

I went to take it off and he stilled my hands.

"You will wear this and you won't worry, they're insured." He gave me that look again and I didn't want to argue with him. He handed me the earrings and I moved to the mirror to put them on. When I had them secured I turned to show him the finished product.

"Stunning," he whispered. My hand went directly to the necklace.

"Yes, they are beautiful." He held out his arm for me and I wrapped mine around then grasped his arm.

"I wasn't talking about the jewelry," he whispered in my ear as he led me out of the bedroom. Blushing at his remark I grabbed my clutch off the table and he led me out the door.

I caught myself constantly touching the necklace to make sure it was still in place. We left the elevator and I felt like every eye was on us as we walked through the lobby. The self-conscious side of me wanted to bury my face in Edward's chest and make a run for it but then there was another side that felt a small twinge of pride at being with this amazing man.

We walked out the door and climbed into the waiting car. The driver turned to Edward when he got in after closing my door.

"Where to, Mr. Cullen?"

"Club 21 on 52nd."

"We're going to a club?" I was puzzled at the destination. I thought we were going to dinner. Edward laughed quietly.

"It's not a club. Well, not like you're thinking. There is a bar. It was a speakeasy in the twenties when prohibition was in effect. The upstairs restaurant was opened in 2002. You've probably seen pictures of the jockey's lining the staircase."

"Oh…I do remember hearing about it, wasn't it in that George Clooney movie, _One Fine Day_?" He nodded his head slowly. "You'll have to tell Emmett that I knew that."

He barked out a laugh. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it, maybe he'll stop teasing you." He smirked and then shook his head. "No, he'll probably still tease you."

We arrived at the restaurant and Edward helped me out of the car, leading me to the maitre d'. "Dinner reservations for Cullen." He sounded so formal when he spoke to the gentleman behind the counter that I giggled. He put his arm around my waist and gave a little squeeze causing another squeak to come out of me. My cheeks lit up to a warm shade of pink.

"I love it when you smile." He told me as we were led to our table. I took a look around the dining room at the beautifully painted murals on the wall.

"Look, Edward," I said as I pointed to one of them. "That's the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain from Central Park. Do you remember walking by it on our date?"

"I couldn't forget anything about that day Bella." He said sweetly, causing me to melt just a little more. _How does he do that?_

The other murals were of landmarks all over the city. It was a beautiful intimate room that had a warm glow to it. The waiter came over and asked us what we would like to drink.

"Do you like champagne?" Edward asked me as he placed the napkin in his lap. I nodded my head as I looked over the menu.

Edward looked quickly over the wine list before snapping it closed and handing it back to the waiter.

"Yes, please bring us a bottle of Cristal."

"Very good, sir."

The waiter brought back the champagne and poured us each a glass, then left the bottle in an iced bucket. I brought the glass to my lips feeling the little bubbles pop and tickle my nose as I took a sip. It tasted completely different from the champagnes I'd had in the past. I immediately recognized that this one was probably a lot more expensive then my twelve dollar bottle of Brut.

We talked quietly about the different items on the menu, agreeing completely that we could live a happy life without caviar and oysters.

Dinner was wonderful, the atmosphere was perfect and Edward was charming. Our conversation was light and my life seemed perfect at that moment. As I gazed at the man sitting across from me I couldn't help but wonder what would happen when this all ended. Would he want to see me again? Would he go back to Seattle? Would he miss me as much as I knew I would miss him? I let out a slow sigh as I pondered these questions.

"What is running through that beautiful mind of yours?" he asked. I shook my head. He turned the full intensity of his emerald eyes on me and my resolve waivered.

"I was just wondering what will happen when you leave." I looked down at my lap, not wanting to see what was playing across his face. He reached over and took my hand that was lying on the table, rubbing small circles on the top, before he brought it to his lips.

"Don't worry, love. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"That's not what I meant. I'll be back on my feet and taking care of myself in no time."

"Then what did you mean?"

I swallowed trying to clear the lump in my throat away. "With our friendship. Will I see you again?" He sat back in his chair looking thoughtful before he answered.

"I live in Seattle, Bella. I come to New York once or twice a year. I would love to see you when I come in." His words seemed to be sincere, but the circumstances were not conducive to anything lasting or permanent. I nodded and smiled, trying to lift the hurt that was lying underneath.

"That would be wonderful. I can show you more of New York." He smiled that dazzling smile and the hurt I was feeling a moment before was replaced by a longing to reach out and touch him.

"We should get going," he commented as he signed the check, laid his napkin on the table and walked around my chair pulling it out for me and then offering his hand. I took it and we walked back out to the car.

The ride to the theater was quiet, both of us buried in our own thoughts. We arrived at the Brooks Atkinson Theater with fifteen minutes to spare to be in our seats. Edward, being the gentleman that he was, offered me his arm when we climbed out of the car. A flash from a camera drew my attention away from him. There was a small man snapping pictures at us like we were some big celebrities as we walked into the theater.

"That was odd," I said to Edward when we were inside.

"It occasionally happens when I'm attending functions, especially where Rose is concerned. Don't let it bother you, most of the time it doesn't reach the papers here in New York. There are more juicy topics in this town than me." He smiled, reassuringly. I was glad, I didn't exactly like the spotlight. He led us to our seats and I was excited to see that Alice, Jasper and Emmett were already seated. When she saw us, Alice jumped up and gave me a hug.

"How was dinner?"

"Amaaaaazing. I think that the Raspberry Cheesecake was the best I'd ever had." She grabbed my hand and pulled me down in the seat next to hers. We sat and giggled about dinner until she turned to Edward.

"I'm totally pissed at you for not telling Bella I was coming over today." He looked slightly taken aback with her accusation. When he regained his bearings, he shot back.

"I'm not used to my sister paying attention to the woman in my life." I beamed at his description of me and wondered what he meant by his sister not paying attention to his…._what?_ Wife? I couldn't imagine Alice being mean to anyone, but she obviously didn't like being around Tanya.

"That's because none of them have been worthy of my attention, until now." She smiled at me and I smiled back understanding that I had been fully accepted by Alice. Edward shook his head with a lopsided smile. He took my hand and laid our entwined fingers in his lap as the show started.

_Grease _reminded me of what was going on between Edward and I. Sandy and Danny were from different social standings, plus they both skated around their true feelings for each other. _Avoidance._ That seems to be the best description of Edward and me.

It wasn't until the end of the play that they both tried to change to win their love's affection and then live happily ever after. I knew I was changing with every passing day away from Mike. I was turning back into my old self, but I couldn't help but feel that it would never be enough to have Edward fall in love with me. _Where did that come from_? Love. Do I really want him to fall in love with me? _Of course I do._ _I__'__m falling in love with him_. That can't be true. I've only known him for a week. _I__'__m a sensible woman, I do not fall in love on a whim. _It was no use arguing with myself, I knew what I was feeling.

I glanced at him under my eyelashes and he was watching me. When our eyes met he didn't look away and I couldn't do anything but stare right back. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently, never once taking his eyes off of mine.

He was perfect, perfect for me, but there were so many obstacles standing in our way. He pointed out earlier that he lived in Seattle and had no intention of moving to New York. I looked away, a stinging in my eyes burning to be released. I tried to focus on the last scene of the play but my epiphany kept nagging at me. The lights came on and everyone was standing in their seats applauding the wonderful performances of the actors.

Emmett let out a long, loud whistle, extremely proud of his new bride. Rose and the guy that played Danny came back out on stage and bowed again to the crowd. The noise level went up several decimals until they exited the stage. When the noise died down Edward turned to Emmett.

"What are your plans for the rest of the evening?"

"Rose has an after party that we're going to attend. You're welcome to stay," he offered, but Edward shook his head.

"I have plans for Bella and me." I looked at him surprised that there would be more to this evening. It had already been beyond wonderful. Emmett wiggled his eyebrows suggesting that he understood and I had to laugh at his assumption. Edward growled at him and took my hand, pulling me towards the door. I shouted our goodbyes over my shoulder to them as he pulled me up the aisle.

"I'm sorry about Emmett." He said when we were safely in the car again.

"Don't be sorry, Edward. I totally get who he is. He wouldn't be Emmett if he didn't say some crude remark or gesture."

"You'd think our mother didn't teach him anything. Esme would be mortified by his behavior."

"Tell me more about your mother please." His face softened and a small smile played at his lips.

"Esme is a very accomplished woman. She gave up her career as an architect to raise the three of us. She never complained about giving up her dreams, she said that her reward was in having a happy family. Much of her free time now is spent organizing charity events and volunteering at the Children's Hospital in DC, where they are currently living." He seemed to radiate love as he spoke about his mother.

"Dad spends as much time as he can with "Doctors without Borders", he's been to Mexico, Brazil, and Guatemala just this last year and my mother goes with him each time, usually spending her time teaching English in the local schools.

"Wow. You're making me nervous thinking about meeting the perfect Cullen's."

He laughed lightly. "We are far from perfect. You have met Emmett haven't you?" He said teasingly. I grinned at him and encouraged him to continue.

"Dad was gone a lot when we were children so mom somehow managed to play both rolls of father and mother. That firm hand came into play plenty of times with Emmett who couldn't stay out of trouble for more than a few minutes." We both laughed as he recounted several instances where his well mannered mother had completely lost it over something Emmett had done.

"He could have mom seeing red one minute and then have her in a fit of giggles the next." He said shaking his head and laughing about the family that he adored.

We arrived at Rockefeller Center and Edward guided me with his hand pressed lightly on my lower back into the Rainbow Room. We went to the bar where he ordered us both a glass of wine then took me to a small table next to the dance floor. It felt like we had fallen back in time to an era where old Hollywood was still alive. The New York skyline was beautiful from the large windows that surrounded the club. A live big band orchestra was playing in the corner and couples were gliding around on the revolving dance floor in the center of the room. It was magical. Edward stood and held his hand out to me.

"Dance with me?" he asked as I placed my hand in his thankful for the dance lessons I had taken in college to try and improve my coordination and balance.

"I'm not very good," I warned him.

"It's all in the leading,"he said as he drew me into his arms.

Edward wrapped his right arm around my back then took my right hand in his caressing my fingers gently. A slow sexy rumba played as he drew my hips closer to him. He pushed forward with his left foot and slowly pivoted his hip, that was pressed to mine, rotating them slightly and then bringing me forward again to where we started. He repeated the motion with his right. My face flooded with heat at the sensual way his hips rubbed into mine.

_Everything about this man dripped sex. _

He progressed to torture me with the dance, dipping me low and burying his face in the crook of my neck. "You smell so good, Bella." He breathed into my hair.

Both of his arms were now wrapped around my body, holding me tight. His hands slowly slid up and down my back like he couldn't get enough of touching me. My head fell back and he pressed his lips to the hollow of my throat. A small moan escaped my lips that snapped me back into remembering we were in a crowded ballroom with people everywhere. I pulled my head up and looked him in the eyes. They were smoldering with need, I'm sure mine reflected back at him the same emotions. We didn't pull away, but continued the put all of those feelings into the slow suggestive dance.

When the music ended we stood in the middle of the dance floor, holding on to each other and not wanting the song to end. A light waltz started playing and Edward regained his composure first so he swept me away into the next dance. He was light on his feet and extremely graceful for a man. Thankfully, I hadn't stepped on his toes. Maybe it _was_ all in the leading.

We laughed, danced and flirted until early in the morning. I felt beautiful whenever he looked at me and I didn't want to see this night end. On the way back to the hotel I had to tell him how much tonight meant to me.

"You did it again," I accused. He looked at me with a large grin.

"What is it I did this time?"

"You made me feel like Cinderella at the ball."

He laughed lightly. "I hate to inform you, Isabella, but if you were Cinder-bella you would have turned into a pumpkin by now."

I smacked him playfully on the arm. "You know what I mean. You are spoiling me, how am I ever going to be able to go back to being plain Bella."

His eyes grew serious. "You were never plain Bella. You are smart and talented and beaut—"

I silenced him with my lips. I was tired of denying the feelings I had for him. I threaded my fingers in the hair at the base of his neck and pulled him closer. I deepened the kiss and heard a small whimper come from Edward.

He pulled back and gazed into my eyes. He looked like he was having an internal argument with himself before he tucked my head under his chin and held me the rest of the way to the hotel. I snuggled into his chest enjoying the warmth and security that he provided.

_My Prince Charming._


	12. Confessions

**Ch****apter 12**

**Confessions**

**BPOV**

I woke up to a cold and empty bed. I rolled over and noticed that Edward's side of the bed was untouched and looked like it hadn't been slept in. I tried to remember what happened last night and all I could remember was another amazing kiss in the car on the way back to the hotel and then nothing. I must have fallen asleep and Edward carried me back to the room.

My cheeks burned at the image of another walk of shame through the lobby. The employees are going to think that I can't walk. I sighed quietly and looked over at the clock. It was already eleven thirty. I groaned and rolled out of bed, Edward's parents would be here in a few hours and I really didn't want to meet them just rolling out of their sons bed.

I busied myself with getting ready to meet the parents and then picked up my book and cuddled up on the couch waiting for Edward to come back.

"Honey, I'm home!" Edward's sweet voice floated through the doorway. I laughed at his quip.

"I'm in the living room, dear." I called back. I turned to see him walking through the doorway. He threw his room key and phone on a small table by the door before walking over and plunking down next to me. He kicked off his shoes and propped his feat on the coffee table.

"My parents just arrived and they're getting settled in their room. They'll come up here around six so we can go to dinner together." He laid his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes. He looked tired. Faint purple lines showed under his eyes and I wondered if he got any sleep last night.

My nerves kicked in when I realized I would be meeting Dr. & Mrs. Perfect in a few hours. What am I going to say to them? How am I going to get through this night without telling everyone how we met?

"What did you tell your parents about me?" I had to understand what I was getting myself into. He slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at me.

"I told them that you're a friend, and that you would be joining us for dinner."

"That's it? You didn't tell them how we met or who I am?" He looked perplexed at my question.

"Sure Bella, I'm going to tell my parents that I picked up a girl who I thought was a hooker and she's been staying with me for the last week." His sarcastic answer didn't cut like it would have a few days ago, instead I laughed at what he implied.

"So you don't want your parents to know that their _Golden Boy_ has a fondness for ladies of the night?" I smirked as he smiled and shook his head.

"I think it would be better if my mother never knew that little detail." How quickly he turned this into his shame and not my own. _Always the gentleman._

"Honestly, Edward, we weren't very prepared when Emmett started asking questions so I think it would be best to get our stories straight."

"I don't like lying to my family, Bella. It was hard enough telling Emmett and if you didn't notice he didn't believe my answer anyway." I automatically felt bad. I didn't want him to have to lie about me to the people that he trusts the most in life.

"Okay, let's not lie then. Tell them the truth."

"Then I'd have to explain the reason why I brought a prostitute to my hotel room. I could tell Emmett, even Carlisle, but I don't want to go there with Esme." I sighed knowing that this was a sticky situation for him.

"Then what do you want to do?"

"Let's just stick with the friend of a friend introducing us."

"Alice knows part of it. I didn't tell her everything, but she knows that I didn't have anywhere to go and that you rescued me."

"Alice won't say anything, at least she won't contradict anything I say to my parents, but she'll want to know why I'm lying later." He ran his hand over his face to clear his thoughts. I hated seeing him distraught, but I didn't know how to fix this without telling everyone my distasteful past.

"Thank you, Edward." Tears stared to form in my eyes. I felt like I was making his life harder. The words that Mike hurled at me that fateful day came rushing back to me. I wasn't any better than a common whore. At least with a whore there wasn't all of the baggage that I carried with me to deal with.

"What is it, Bella?" Edward asked as he tipped my face up to meet his intense stare. "Why are you crying?" I wiped at my eyes frustrated that I could still feel the pain of Mike's words ringing in my mind.

"I just don't want to disappoint anyone. I know that I'm out of my league here and that—" His jaw tightened and he growled at me.

"First off, I don't ever want to hear that come out of your mouth again. Second, you could never disappoint me or my family. They are all really excited to meet you. I think Alice has been talking about you to my mother." He reached over and pulled me up against his side, his arms wrapped protectively around me.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about Bella. Whatever you have gone through has shaped you into the amazing woman you have become." He kissed the top of my head and squeezed lightly.

We sat there for quite awhile in comfortable silence. I heard his even breathing and knew that he had fallen asleep. I started to pull away to let him sleep when he woke up enough to pull me with him so he was laying down, I was laying half on him and half wedged between his warm body and the back of the couch. My head was resting under his chin when a quiet snore came from his parted lips. I didn't want to be anywhere else.

**EPOV**

I was woken up from my long needed nap with Bella's soft whispers.

"Edward?" I opened one eye and looked down at the angel in my arms. Her eyes were closed, she looked like she was asleep, but I wasn't sure.

"Hmmm?" I asked, she didn't continue so I assumed she was talking in her sleep again.

I loved listening to her babble in her sleep. You could learn a lot about a person when they talked as clearly as Bella did at night. Some things she said didn't make sense, like when she told Emmett to leave the cupcakes for the dog. I smiled at the thought. But other times the pain she had been in over the last couple of years would come out. I usually just had to touch her or rub her back and she would calm down.

What exactly did this guy Mike do to her? Did he physically hurt her? My blood began to boil at the thought. If he laid one hand on her I would rip it off and shove it down his throat. I know that the emotional hold he had on her was powerful, so much so that she began to believe the filthy lies that he told her. What else did he do to her?

"Love you."

_What?_ Who was she talking about? Surely not me, we've only know each other for a little over a week. Maybe she was thinking about Jake I reasoned. I could see in the restaurant that he loved Bella very much. They had a special bond, almost like brother and sister, but forged through their deep friendship. How could anyone deny her the happiness of having him in her life? Even though I have only known her for a short time, I saw the difference that having him back has caused. Her beautiful brown eyes have more of a spark to them now. _Yes, she is probably dreaming about Jake_.

My mind drifted back to last night and the kiss that she had given me. I was surprised at her forwardness, but also secretly thrilled that she had been the one to make that first step. Maybe she is warming up to the idea of turning this into something more for the remainder of my stay. I wasn't lying when I told her that I wanted her in _any_ capacity she was willing to give herself to me.

What exactly did I mean by _any_ capacity? I mulled over that question for awhile before coming up with an answer. I definitely wanted her physically, she was beautiful and just the thought of her naked in my arms sent a small thrill through me. On the other hand, I wanted to protect her fiercely, even if it was from my own lust. I didn't want scum like Mike to hurt her or bring her down again. I wanted to make sure that she was taken care of, that she never wanted for anything in life. In the back of my mind I began to form a plan, one that would take care of her and never make her dependant on anyone not looking out for her best interests.

She stirred and slowly rested her chin on my chest. "Hi." She said softly when her eyes met mine.

"Hello, beautiful." She rolled her eyes and tried to sit up, falling further down into the crack of the sofa. I rolled over onto my side facing her to give her some more room but not wanting her to leave just yet.

"Did you get enough sleep?" she asked, reaching up and tracing the dark circles under my eyes. She must have noticed that I didn't go to bed last night. I spent the evening on the couch, trying to keep myself from pouncing on her and ruining what little progress we had made. The problem was I didn't sleep well without her warm body wrapped around mine, hence, the haggard appearance.

"Yeah." I looked at my watch and saw that the time for diner was fast approaching. "We should get going, my parents and siblings will be here pretty soon." She grabbed a hold of my arm and pulled it up so she could see the time. A small gasp came from her mouth and in an instant she had shoved me right off the couch and onto my back. She leaned over the side of the couch with an amused, but horrified look.

"Oh my, Edward. Are you okay?" She said a small giggle erupting from her mouth. I reached up and grabbed her, pulling her off the couch and on top of me and assaulted her ribs. _She was the most ticklish person I had ever met. _Her squeals of laughter were echoing off of the walls as I relentlessly attacked not giving in to her pleas for mercy. "Uncle! Uncle! E-Edward. S-Stop. I'm going to pee!" she shrieked. I heard someone clear their throat towards the door.

"Are we interrupting something?" I heard the musical voice of my mother and I immediately stopped my assault. Bella groaned and buried her face in my chest. I laughed at the situation we were caught in, craning my neck I saw that my whole family was standing in the doorway.

"Please tell me that they are not here already," Bella whimpered into my neck.

"They're not here yet," I said in my most convincing voice, a grin plastered to my face.

"Smart mouth," she said as she punched me in the stomach lightly before pulling herself up and off of me. I jumped up and took her hand pulling her over to meet my parents.

Alice and my mother had identical grins on their faces. I looked down at Bella and caught her fidgeting with her shirt. She had turned a lovely shade of red.

"Mom, Dad, this is Bella. Bella, Esme and Carlisle." I introduced as Bella held out her hand to my father. He took it into his hand and shook gently.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear." She then turned to do the same with my mother when Esme pulled her into a quick hug, just like Alice did when she met Bella. _ I sure hope Bella is okay with my overly affectionate family. _My mom winked at me over Bella's shoulder before she released her.

"I'm so glad to meet you. Alice can't stop talking about you." Bella smiled at Alice and then looked back at Esme.

"I hope it was all good," Bella replied.

"Of course," Alice chimed in as she danced over to Bella and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Bella, turned to me and gave me a glare before looking back at my family.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to get ready."

"A bit distracted there, Bella?" Emmett's loud voice boomed through the room. Bella winced but just nodded her head and then made her escape. I looked daggers at my brother and watched satisfied, as Rose smacked him in the head.

"What? What'd I do?" he whined.

"Embarrassed Bella, yet again," Rose scolded.

"She's lovely, Edward." I turned back to my mother as she spoke nodding my head in agreement.

"I better go check on her," I whispered as I walked back to the bedroom. I didn't knock but just quietly walked in. It took me a second to locate her in the massive room, but when I did my breath went out of me. She quickly spun around to face me and I couldn't bring myself to look away. We both stood there in stunned silence, our eyes locked on one another.

She was clad in only a black lacy bra and pair of lacy boy shorts. She didn't move to cover herself up, but instead stared right back at me. I broke the eye contact and turned around.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. She didn't say anything, but I heard her open the closet door. A minute later she spoke.

"You can turn around now Edward." I slowly turned. She had slipped on a pretty spaghetti strapped blue dress that hit right at her knee and complemented her skin perfectly. It was nice, but not overly formal. She was holding the front up as she walked towards me and turned around.

"Can you zip me up?" Her back was completely exposed to me. The black bra that she was wearing a minute ago was gone. My fingers were trembling as I reached out and grabbed the zipper, zipping it up slowly. When I reached the end I placed my hands on her waist and bent down, placing a small kiss on her shoulder. She leaned back into me and I just held her like that for a moment, not wanting to let her go. Why are we playing this stupid game of cat and mouse? She wants me as badly as I want her.

She pulled away without a word and went in to the bathroom. I grabbed another shirt from the closet and changed, the images of Bella standing there moments ago playing back in my head. She came back out of the bathroom with her hair pulled back in a neat twist at the base of her neck, tendrils of hair framing her face. I had to agree with my mother. _She is lovely. _

She sat on the bed and pulled her shoes on while I continued to admire her from the other side of the room. When her shoes were on she looked at me and smiled.

"I'm ready," she said as she walked past me brushing her body up against mine when she squeezed through the doorway I was standing in. I sighed and followed her out. _This is going to be a long night._

**BPOV**

The hotel had provided a limo for us so we could all ride together to dinner. Edward, Emmett and Jasper were filling Esme and Carlisle in on the party tomorrow evening. Esme kept glancing at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention, but I caught every curious look.

Carlisle and Esme didn't look like they could have children in their late twenties and early thirties. Esme barely looked forty, if that, and Carlisle looked more like a distinguished actor than a doctor. They both had warm and inviting personalities that immediately made you feel comfortable in their presence. I was still mortified that they had walked in on Edward and my shameless flirting episode. However, I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy his hands on me, no matter what the consequences may have been.

When he walked in on me changing I didn't have that instant urge to cover up. I wanted to run to him, throw my arms around him and forget that we had company in the next room, but the sensible side of me won out and I held my ground. His eyes raking over my body sent chills down my spine. I felt like I was going to combust on the spot. If he hadn't turned away when he did, I had no doubt where things would have ended up.

"Bella? Did you hear me?" Edward nudged me lightly with his elbow.

"I'm sorry, I spaced out there for a minute. What did you say?"

"My mother asked how long you've been in New York."

"Oh," I turned to Esme. "I'm sorry, I'm not normally this rude." She shook her head and waived her hand dismissing the notion and then asked me to continue.

"School brought me here in August of 2001."

"Where did you attend university?"

"Columbia." She looked impressed and nodded her approval.

"I have a Masters in Business Analysis." I answered the next question that always came before it was asked. Carlisle looked a bit surprised.

"A Masters in Business, very impressive." He turned to Edward. "I hope you snatched her up to work for you."

Edward chuckled. "That's not a bad idea, Dad." He looked over at me and winked.

"So Bella, would you like for me to be your boss?" he asked teasingly.

I gave a small snort at the idea. "I wouldn't mind working for you, it's Emmett I don't think I could handle working with." I teased back.

"Hey? That's not very nice, pip squeak." Emmett defended, while Rosalie laughed at the jab to her husband.

We arrived at the restaurant and each gentleman helped his date out of the car. Edward pulled me out of the car with a little bit more force than I was anticipating and I went crashing into his chest. He caught me before I could hurt myself and pressed his mouth to my ear.

"You know, it isn't a bad idea, having you working for us."

I shook my head. "I don't think it's a good idea." I said quietly.

"We'll talk more about it later." I nodded my agreement and he wrapped my arm around his and led me into the lobby of the restaurant.

We were seated immediately, conversation flowed freely and I couldn't help but admire Esme and Carlisle. They had raised three amazing children and it was obvious that they did it through strong family values that they set. All of them were raised to understand the value of working hard and about the benefits of service. Not in the sense of monetary or social gain, but by the sense of accomplishment that came from donating your time, money and talent.

"So Bella, where does your family live?" Esme asked as she cut up her chicken.

"My mother lives in Phoenix with her new husband and my father lives in a small town called Forks in Washington." Edward looked at me with a surprised expression.

"You never told me you had family in Washington. Forks is only a couple of hours from Seattle," he whispered in my ear. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I haven't been back in years. It didn't seem that important, New York is my home now," I replied just as quietly.

"Edward, how did you and Bella meet?" Esme directed her question at her son, but looked at me in case I wanted to answer.

"A friend of a friend." Edward said with a shrug. Emmett scoffed at the lame answer, but didn't say anything more. Esme looked expectantly at me since her son didn't provide the details she was looking for.

"Uh, he has a friend in Seattle that knew one of my friends and they set us up." My cheeks flamed and felt a pang of guilt for lying to this wonderful woman. She smiled kindly at me and then I felt even worse. I had to get away so I excused myself from the table and headed for the restroom.

I walked in to the bathroom and washed my hands, looking for anything to busy myself before I had to go back. Alice burst through the door and walked over to me.

"What's going on? Why are you lying to my parents about how you met?" Seeing the concern reflected in Alice's eyes, I realized that I _wanted _to tell someone about it. I wanted to tell Alice. She had accepted me without any doubts, and she deserved at least my trust.

"It's really embarrassing, Alice." I warned her hoping that she would give up and let it drop. Instead she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me.

"Bella, it really doesn't matter. We love you already and nothing you say will change that." I knew her heart and I knew that she was telling the truth so I opened up and let it all out.

"When Edward found me I was laying on the sidewalk with a sprained ankle."

She nodded her head already knowing this part. "Why don't you have a home, Bella?" She wanted to know the heart of what was going on.

"I was thrown out of my home by a man that I thought loved me. Now that I look back on it I realize that it was an extremely unhealthy relationship. He was abusive." She gasped and shook her head. I held up my hand to stop her.

"Please, Alice, I can't handle the pity." She nodded her head in understanding. "He wasn't physically abusive, but I could see that it was headed in that direction. He said a lot of horrible things to me." The tears were freely flowing down my cheeks. "He told me I was worthless and I believed him. Right before he tossed me out I received a phone call from his lover. She told me everything. Come to find out he'd been seeing her for several months. When I confronted him he…he…said a lot of hateful things and physically threw me out. I ran and that's when Edward found me." Tears were shining in Alice's eyes when she pulled me in for another hug.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. You have to know that you're an amazing person. That all of those things that he said were not true." I sniffed loudly and tried to wipe the tears from my eyes without ruining my make up more than it already was.

"Thanks, Alice, but that's not the end. Edward thought I was a prostitute when he brought me back to his hotel. That's one of the reasons why we're not talking about this."

"What?" she shrieked. "How in the hell could Edward think that. I'm going to hurt him, what was he thinking?" I placed a hand on her shoulder trying to get her to calm down.

"He thought that because I was in a dress that was ripped to almost nothing. Mike ripped it when we were fighting before he threw me out. It just barely covered me, I don't blame him for the conclusion that he came to. He's worried about what Esme would think about him for bringing a hooker to his hotel." Alice stood there for a few seconds before what I said sunk in and then she burst out into a fit of giggles.

"My straight laced brother was taking, what he thought was a prostitute, back to his hotel!" She doubled over holding her stomach as her giggles turned into loud guffaws. I was laughing right along with her when the bathroom door opened and in walked Esme and Rosalie.

"My goodness, what has you both in hysterics? I could hear you clear down the hall." Esme smiled looking expectantly at us.

Alice sobered up and then launched into the real way that Edward and I met before I could stop her. When she got to the part where Edward thought I was a prostitute, I cut in and directed the story back to me to save myself and Edward from the humiliation of his mother finding out. Alice gave me a dirty look, wanting to dish the dirt on her brother to her mom.

"Edward saved me. He's given me a place to stay until I get back on my feet." Esme looked puzzled at the explanation.

"I'll come back to this pig that you lived with in a minute. What I don't understand is why you both were laughing so hard. That doesn't sound like a story that deserves the kind of amusement I heard when I came in here." _She__'__s perceptive_. Alice piped in and I hoped that the 'prostitute' issue didn't come up.

"We were laughing at something totally unrelated that Edward did. He'd be mortified if he knew that I knew, let alone you, so we'll just leave it at that." Esme seemed appeased with her answer.

"Now dear, I have a little story to tell you." She took my hand and led all of us out into the sitting room outside the bathroom. "I was married before I met Carlisle. I was very young and thought that love was the only thing that mattered. I ignored my parents and friends warnings of my future spouse and married him anyway. As soon as the honeymoon was over he changed, he became abusive. I lived in that environment for about a year until he hurt me so bad that he put me in the hospital. That's where I met Carlisle. He was in his residency at the hospital I was admitted to. I had several broken ribs, a broke arm, my skull was cracked and I had internal injuries that had far lasting consequences. Carlisle helped me through the trial that put my husband in jail and finally the divorce. I can tell you from experience that the Cullen men are the best at helping us messed up females through tough times." She patted my hand and at that moment I realized that I had a friend for life, no matter what happened with Edward.

"We should get back to dinner before Jasper sends out the cavalry." Alice joked as we walked back to the table.

The men stood up and helped us with our seats as we arrived. When everyone was seated Emmett had to acknowledge our trip to the ladies room.

"What is up with women going to the bathroom together? You'll never catch a guy inviting his friend to go with him to the John. That's just wrong." He shuddered to prove his point. We all laughed at his observation.

We spent the rest of the evening getting to know one another and laughing heartily. I found myself yearning for this kind of family unity. They all respected and supported each other. Their motivation for doing so was their deep love for one another.

When we arrived back at the hotel we said our goodbyes to Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper. Esme made Edward promise to meet them for breakfast before she gave me a warm hug.

"I'm so glad you are part of Edward's life," she whispered in my ear before letting me go. I smiled at her and nodded as Edward took my hand gently.

"We'll see you in the morning mom." He leaned down and kissed her cheek and then led me towards our room.

"Things seemed to go well with my mother." He grinned crookedly at me. "She thinks you're wonderful."

"I think she's pretty amazing, too." I said as I walked towards the bedroom, kicking my shoes off when I reached the closet.

"You all came back from the bathroom like best friends, what happened?"

"Alice knows _everything_ now." He quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Everything?" I nodded. He groaned loudly and flopped on the bed.

"She cornered me in the bathroom and I couldn't lie to her. Then your mother came in and she told her everything." Edward groaned even louder.

"Please, no. Tell me she didn't tell her about me thinking you were a prostitute." He raked his hands through his hair.

"She didn't tell her about you thinking I was a prostitute." He stopped and looked at me skeptically.

"Are you teasing me?" he asked.

"No, I'm not teasing you, she told her my story up until you found me and then I cut her off so she wouldn't continue. Trust me, she wanted to tell your mother." He heaved a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel about them knowing?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't really know right now. At the time it felt like the right thing to do. Your mother told me about her first marriage and it felt good to have someone to talk to that understands what I'm going through." Edward's hands tightened into fists when I mentioned Esme's tragedy.

"Did she tell you that the reason she can't have children was because of what _he_ did to her?" I shook my head mortified at the thought of what his sweet mother had been subjected to.

"Thankfully, he died in jail five years after he assaulted her. He was a month from being released. Carlisle said she was terrified and begged him to move. If we would have left they wouldn't have adopted Alice. It's funny how things just work out. I can't imagine our family without Alice."

Edward stood and came over to me. "Turn around," he ordered. I looked at him not understanding his request. "I helped you get into that dress, it's only fitting that I get to help you out of it." His lopsided grin dazzled me into silence so I just turned around so he could unzip my dress.

His fingers lightly caressed my shoulders before he took the zipper in between his fingers and slowly slid it down. As the zipper moved agonizingly slow down my back I felt the fingertips of his other hand flutter over the bare skin that he revealed. I held my breath in anticipation of what he would do. When the zipper was completely down he leaned in and placed a kiss right between my shoulder blades.

"Breathe, Bella," he whispered, tickling the baby hairs on the back of my neck. I let out the breath I had been holding and turned around. I was surprised to see him sitting on the bed again. I shook my head slightly trying to clear the Edward induced fog that fell over me.

No one was winning this little game of seduction that we were playing with each other. I was

going to figure out a way to either forfeit and let him win or I was going to win and claim that same prize myself. _Hmmmm. Sounds like a win/win either way. _But not tonight. I need to figure out his game plan and make one of my own.


	13. Sweet Surrender

**Chapter 13**

**Sweet Surrender**

**EPOV**

There really was nothing that compared to waking up with Bella in my arms. Her hair was fanned out over my arm while her head lay on my shoulder. Her small fingers rested on my stomach. I watched the rise and fall of her chest as her breathing set a steady pattern in the quiet room.

I pulled my fingers through her hair, loving the texture and softness of it. She sighed softly and I could tell by the way her breathing changed that she was on the verge of waking up.

"I forfeit," she whispered quietly. I smiled, wondering what she was dreaming about.

Bella had surprised me yet again last night. She fit in perfectly with my family. When she excused herself from the table to go to the ladies room, my mother couldn't stop talking about what a great girl she was. She had been awed with her intelligent answers and her quick wit. Attending Columbia and having a Masters degree in business was enough to impress my father, but then she dazzled him with her smile and showed genuine interest in his work which made her a saint in his book.

Bella's hand twitched on my stomach, drawing my attention back to her. She seems to be coming out of her shell a little more each day. However, I always seem to say the wrong thing and she would end up in tears and we'd have taken two steps backwards. _I don__'__t handle her tears very well_. She affects me more than Tanya ever could. _Maybe_ that's _because Bella__'__s tears are genuine_. She's not trying to manipulate me into doing what she wanted like Tanya always did.

She stretched her arm and then turned her half lidded eyes to mine. "Morning," she whispered while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning, love." She smiled at me then nestled her head back into my shoulder, her warm breath blowing across my neck. Her fingers driving me mad as she rubbed circles on my stomach. I reached down and grabbed her hand, stilling it before I lost all of my control. She looked up at me and smirked. The little flirt knew what she was doing to me.

_Two could play at that game._

I moved my hand to the hem of her silky camisole and slid my fingers underneath, caressing her stomach with a light touch. She shivered slightly and then buried her face into my neck. Her lips made contact with the soft skin just below my ear and I couldn't hold back any longer. I pulled her fully on top of me and gently cupped her face in both of my hands.

"I'm going to kiss you now." I told her, not really knowing what I would do if she refused. Her eyes were glassy as she nodded her head.

I pulled her down to my lips and kissed her. It wasn't the soft, sweet kiss that we had shared in the past, it was one full of every desire I had for her. Every fantasy I've had about her, every moment that I had longed to touch her, every time I denied my desire of her was infused in that kiss. She responded hungrily and when I parted my lips she gladly opened up to me.

I slipped my tongue into her mouth, feeling the warmth of hers against mine. My hands rubbed against the soft flesh of her back, moving up and under her shirt. A small moan slipped out of her mouth and into mine. I flipped us over so that her back was flat against the mattress and I was hovering over her, one leg planted in between her lovely thighs.

I drew her bottom lip into my mouth and sucked on it, then trailed open mouthed kisses down her neck. Her hands were in my hair pulling me closer. I relaxed the lower half of my body so that I was pressed firmly against her and she could feel my excitement pressed into her thigh.

"Edward." She sighed as I took her earlobe into my mouth and flicked it with my tongue. I moved my hand down her sides and over her leg. Hooking my fingers under her knee I hitched her leg up to my waist. She let out the sexiest sound I had ever heard and bit down hard on my shoulder through my T-shirt.

Just as I was about to push her further than we had gone, _super-cala-fragalistic-expialidoshus_ rang from my phone. I groaned, burying my face in Bella's neck. There's nothing like Mary Poppins to ruin the mood. She giggled and shoved me towards the offending object. I grabbed it off the nightstand and answered it.

"Hello, Mother Dearest." Annoyance evident in my voice.

"Don't you dare call me that or I'll show you what a coat hanger really feels like," she chastised with a small chuckle.

"I'm sorry, what can I do for you this fine morning?" I asked in my most pleasant voice.

"Did you forget about breakfast?" I glanced at the clock and groaned, we were already ten minutes late.

"Yes, I forgot to set the alarm. We'll be there in a few." I hung up the phone and looked down at the beautiful girl in my arms. Her lips were slightly swollen, a blush tinted her cheeks and a wide smile was on her lips.

"What's up with the Mary Poppins ring tone?" she asked as she ran her hand up my chest, causing me to forget what she asked for a second.

"Because my mother is like Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in every way."

"Awwww. That's so sweet."

"I'll show you what's sweet," I said teasingly as I leaned down and kissed her neck again. "Right here is sweet." I moved my mouth to her collar bone, "and right here is sweet." Then I moved to behind her ear, "this is sweet." Then I ended at her lips,"but right here is the sweetest of all." Then I kissed her one last time before rolling out of bed.

"We were supposed to be at breakfast ten minutes ago. My parents are waiting in the restaurant downstairs."

I didn't think I have ever seen her move that fast. She was out of the bed and in the bathroom before I made it to the closet. I couldn't help but wonder how our make-out marathon was going to alter the dynamics of our relationship. I didn't regret it one bit, but I wasn't sure if she did. She seemed like she was fine with our little display of affection but who knows with women.

When we were ready and in the elevator she inched closer to me until her chest was pressed securely against my own. She reached up and pulled my head down to meet her lips in a soft kiss. When she pulled away I saw a twinkle in her eyes before she spoke.

"I'm ready for things to change between us."

I couldn't suppress the grin that was threatening to take over my face. I pulled her closer and eagerly pressed my lips to hers. I vaguely heard the ding of the elevator, indicating we had arrived at our floor, before Bella pulled her lips away from mine, took my hand and led me down the hall to the restaurant.

We spotted my parents in the dining room and started towards them. Carlisle had his nose buried in the Wall Street Journal when we arrived. He laid down his paper and held out the chair for Bella while I kissed my mother on her cheek before sitting down.

"So, what do you have planned for today?" My mother asked eyeing my messy hair and arching her perfectly manicured eyebrow at me. I reached up, self consciously running my fingers through my hair to try to tame it down. I gave up and shrugged, she shook her head and laughed.

What did we have planned for today? So…what are my options? Spend all day in bed with a beautiful girl. Take a bath with said beautiful girl. See how many rooms we can christen in the hotel suite. Mmm, all of those things sounded like good ideas, but not necessarily things I wanted to share with my mother. I looked over at Bella and she shook her head.

"We didn't have anything planned," I said, looking back at my mother who was beaming.

"Well then why don't you go with your father? He has a tee time at ten and then Bella and I can go shopping and get to know each other better." _No No No! I want to spend quality alone time with Bella. _ I looked over at Bella and saw the disappointment clearly written on her face as well. _How am I going to get us out of this?_ I couldn't think fast enough to solidify a plan before Bella spoke up.

"I think that would be lovely, Esme."

_What? No No No! What is she doing? _

I gave Bella a 'What the hell are you doing?' look and she just smiled a mischievous smile back at me. Esme beamed at the opportunity to spend time with her, and _how could I deny her that_? Irritated yes, but not angry. _There go all of my plans for the afternoon. _

**BPOV**

Shopping with Esme was like having a déjà'vu moment. I now understood where Alice got her addiction. Like Alice, Esme was a precise shopper. She knew exactly what she wanted and didn't waste time browsing for things that weren't helping her achieve her goal. She threw different dresses in my direction when I told her I would just wear the dress that I had worn to the theatre.

"You will not wear the same dress. What if you're photographed? You'd be mortified if they published the two pictures side by side in the Post." I highly doubt I would be mortified, but she would have been, so I figured I'd better go along with whatever she said. Her comments reminded me of the photographer that snapped our picture during Rosalie's Opening Night.

"Someone took pictures of us at Rosalie's Opening Night." Esme pursed her lips and thought about what I said.

"Edward was a source of hateful gossip during his divorce, but other than that the press was kind to him. Things should be fine. When you're good looking and wealthy they want one of two things. Either they want to buddy up to you to get a nice photo and a statement or they want to tear you down and they don't care what lies they dig up to accomplish their goal."

She shoved me in a dressing room and made me come out and show her each item I tried on. Esme had excellent taste. Every item had a hint of sexiness but was well within my comfort zone. She had done so well that I had a hard time deciding on one.

"Every woman should own a sexy little black dress, so I would pick that one." She said pointing to the dress I was leaning towards. It was a black satin fabric with small cap sleeves and had a low cut neckline. The bodice was form fitting and then the skirt flared out slightly, ending a little below mid thigh. It moved beautifully when I walked. I convinced Esme that I already had shoes so she insisted on buying a pretty silver chain with a diamond pennant hanging from it with matching diamond earrings.

While Esme was in the dressing room my phone rang and that goofy picture of Edward flashed across the screen. _I need to get a better picture of him. _I flipped it open and saw that it was a text.

_B_

_I__'__m back at the hotel. When are you coming home?_

_E_

Home? I guess that's what it is. I quickly typed my reply and hit send.

_E_

_It__'__s all up to your mother. She__'__s shopping. Need I say more?_

_B_

Let him stew over that for awhile. A few minutes later Esme came out of the dressing room, her phone in one hand and several garments in the other. She had a small smile playing at her lips as she handed me her phone.

"I think we need to go," she said with a small laugh. I looked down at the screen and there was a text message from Edward.

_Mom,_

_You__'__ve had her long enough. Please, bring her back._

_Edward_

My cheeks turned bright red as I closed the phone and handed it back to her.

"Shall we go dear?" She smiled like she was the cat that ate the canary. She finished her purchases and we were in the car and on our way back to the hotel within minutes. When we were a few blocks away I received another text from Edward.

_B_

_Where are you?_

_E_

Esme was trying to hold in her laugh, but her shaking shoulders were a dead giveaway. I decided to ignore the text since we were almost there.

"Aren't you going to answer him?" I shook my head no. "He'll call at least three more times before you get to the room. He always was a persistent child." Then my phone rang again.

"That's one." Esme said as she snickered. I flipped open the phone and checked it.

_B_

_Is Esme holding you hostage?_

_E_

I quickly closed it. We sat in silence for the remainder of the drive. As soon as we pulled up to the hotel my phone rang again.

"That's two." Esme said as she laughed harder. I didn't want to look but the suspense was killing me.

_B_

_Where are you? I__'__ll send a car._

_E _

Even I had to laugh at the comical way this was playing out. We grabbed our bags out of the back and made our way to the elevator. Just as we reached Esme's floor my phone went off again.

"That's three. What did I tell you? If anything, he's predictable." She kissed my cheek and told me she'd see us soon as she swept from the elevator. I flipped open the phone and read the final message before I would see him.

_B_

_I miss you._

_E_

My heart was hammering in my chest as I reached the door to our room. I was barely in the door before I was being swept into his arms and pressed up against the wall. His mouth was on mine in a heated embrace. His hands were cupped around my bottom as he pulled me against him. I wrapped my legs around his waist while his mouth continued to assault mine. He pulled away from the door and headed towards the bedroom. Just as he reached the bedroom door we heard a tinkling voice coming from the entryway.

"Bella?" We both groaned as we heard Alice calling for me. He pulled away from me and rested his forehead on mine.

"I'll get rid of her," he said in a voice dripping with need.

"You will do no such thing," Alice exclaimed and then she rounded the corner and saw me wrapped around her brother. She looked slightly shocked, but then composed herself and went on.

"We need to leave in an hour and I'm here to help Bella with her hair."

Edward heaved a loud sigh and set me back on my feet. He gave me a chaste kiss on my lips and walked away, going into the living room. I had never wanted to hurt anyone like I wanted to hurt Alice at that moment. Sensing my murderous rage, she smirked at me.

"You should be thanking me right now. You can't finish anything worthwhile in less than an hour." Then she steered me towards the bathroom to start the slow torture.

She had left my hair down and ran her fingers through the large curls she had made with a curling iron. When she was finished I fixed my make-up from earlier in the day and was ready to go.

Edward was lying on our bed with his eyes closed when I came in to get my shoes. I walked over quietly and placed a chaste kiss on his mouth. His lips turned up into a smile and he opened his eyes.

"You look exquisite," he said as his eyes travelled down my body. I smiled down at him.

"Is my sister finished with you?" he asked looking over my shoulder as if Alice was going to pounce at any moment.

"She left a few minutes ago." Quicker than I thought possible he had me under him on the bed.

"We could just stay here," he said seductively, nuzzling my neck with his nose. I almost agreed to his suggestion then his phone rang. He moaned with irritation mumbling under his breath something about unwanted interruptions as he got up to retrieve it.

"Hello?" he grumbled.

"We'll be down in a minute." He growled and then snapped his phone closed.

"They are waiting for us downstairs." He turned and walked to the closet, pulling out his jacket and slipping it on. I sat up and admired the man in front of me. His hair was still a mess but in a stylish kind of '_I don__'__t care__'_ way. The black suit he wore was expensive, and probably Italian, it fit him perfectly. I sighed and thought about what may happen later on tonight. He walked back to me and held out his hand.

We met everyone but Rosalie downstairs, she had two shows this evening and one in the early afternoon tomorrow so she opted out of tonight's festivities. We all piled into the awaiting limousine and were on our way towards Fifth Avenue. Emmett, always the entertainer, kept us in stitches the entire ride.

We arrived at the Midtown Loft and I was pleasantly surprised at the elegance of the venue. The very large room was set up with a full bar, dance floor and buffet. Tables and sitting areas with white plush furniture were sporadically set throughout the room. A DJ was in the corner of the dance floor playing an eclectic selection of music. There were already a few hundred people in attendance.

As soon as we walked in the door Edward was whisked away by Emmett to meet a client. He glanced over his shoulder at me, an apologetic look on his face. I smiled and waved him on, letting him know that I could handle myself.

I made my way to the buffet and glanced over the selection. A woman with curly brown hair wasn't paying attention to where she was backing up and bumped into me.

"Oh, excuse me." She turned quickly to make sure she hadn't caused too much damage. "I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing but that chocolate fountain has had my attention since I walked in the room." We both chuckled at her statement.

"I don't think I've seen one that big before." I said, slightly in awe. The woman nodded her head in agreement.

"You have to try the strawberries and bananas. I thought I had died and gone to heaven." She said breathlessly grabbing my arm and pulling me over to the plates and skewers. She handed me one and started piling the different dip-able items onto her plate. We chatted about the various items that you could cover in chocolate when Edward came up behind me and kissed my neck lightly.

"I'm sorry, love. I have to go talk to my sister, but I wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

"I'm fine, Edward. I can entertain myself. Besides, with you near me I wouldn't feel right about indulging in all this sinful delight." I waved a hand at my plate and the chocolate buffet. He chuckled softly, placed another kiss on my neck and then was gone.

"Wow. Who was that?" She asked, slightly stunned by his looks. I couldn't blame her, I felt like that every time he walked within ten feet of me.

"Edward Cullen." I said as I dipped a skewer of marshmallows into the fountain.

"Oh." She looked startled for a moment and then composed herself. "So are you dating him?" I didn't really know how to answer that question so I tried to be evasive.

"We are here tonight on a date." I said trying to make it seem like it was nothing. We walked towards a table together and sat down. She seemed nice, was easy to talk to and was also abandoned by her date.

"Are you here with someone?" I asked as she smiled and looked around.

"Yes, I'm here with my boyfriend. He's probably with Mr. Kingsley," she said.

"Do you know Mr. Kingsley very well?" I asked, making small talk.

"Not really. I met him the other day. He reminds me of someone, but I just can't place my finger on whom." I chuckled and leaned in to tell her who he reminded me of.

"He reminds me of Yosemite Sam," I said with a giggle.

"That's it!" She laughed heartily and smacked her hand down on the table. "I couldn't place it but he's the spitting image of him." We chatted for awhile and I learned that her name was Jessica. She was a pleasant distraction while I waited for Edward to return. After a while I went to the bar to get both of us another drink.

I sat on a barstool waiting for the bartender to fill my order when I felt an unfamiliar presence behind me causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. I turned slowly to see who the individual was that was in my personal space.

"Jack and Coke." His voice dripping with sensuality as he spoke to the bartender and then turned his attention to me. The guy was good looking to the extreme with shaggy blonde hair, hazel eyes and a five o'clock shadow that gave him the bad boy appearance. He leaned in and placed his elbow on the bar so that he was turned towards me. My body gave an involuntary shudder at his proximity. Warning bells were going off in my head to get the heck out of there. He smirked like he got a small thrill at making me feel uncomfortable.

"Hello, sexy," he said to me quietly. I was taken aback at his lack of tact so I turned my back to him, hoping that if I ignored him he'd go away.

"Don't be like that, sugar," he whispered in my ear only a few inches away. I found my voice and my anger at the same time.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" I huffed as I turned back to face him. "You have some nerve speaking to a lady like that."

"I didn't realize I was speaking to a lady." He retorted back. His impish grin spreading over his face.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so rude. My name's James." He said as he held out his hand. I ignored his attempt at being polite. There was something about this guy that told me to stay away. The bartender came back with my drinks and I immediately stood up to leave. James caught me by the arm and pulled me close enough so that I would hear his whisper.

"I'll see you around, Bella." I yanked my arm out of his grasp and marched back to the table I was sharing with Jessica. _How the hell did he know my name?_ I tried to shake off the sense of unease that I was feeling.

"Do you know James?" Jessica asked me as I arrived back at the table, handing her drink to her. I shook my head no and she proceeded to dish the gossip about him. It seems that Edward had bought out his failing company last year. He was a known player with a hint of scandal. There were rumors circulating about a rape when he was in college, but even with the possibility of him being a scoundrel women still seemed to flock to him.

"His good looks and charm get him just about anything he wants."

I snorted at Jessica's comment. "He was anything but charming when he was talking to me." I told her about what he had said to me and she was just as appalled as I was. We sat there for awhile ranting about how some men can be complete idiots and then our conversation turned to the worst pick up lines we had heard. I excused myself to the ladies room. I spotted Edward across the room and felt that small pang of longing but pushed it down. I understood that he had obligations that needed to be filled before we could have our time together.

I had just closed the stall door when two women walked in, their voices dripping with cattiness.

"Did you see the girl he was with?" The first voice raking on my nerves with her nasally tone.

"I know. Can you say plain Jane?" I was reminded of how much I hate the back biting some women took part in to boost their own self importance.

"Victoria tried to get her hooks in him earlier tonight and he totally gave her the brush off."

"Nu uh."

"I also heard that the woman that he brought is a prostitute. The rumor is that he picks them up all the time in Seattle."

"No way! Why would he pay for something that unattractive, especially when he could get it for free from me?" They both laughed at her vulgar comment.

"Isn't that the truth. Do you remember what they said about the perfect Edward Cullen when he was going through his divorce?"

"No, what did they say?" Their voices trailed off as they walked out of the bathroom. I had several emotions going through me at once. I was hurt at the things they were saying about me. I knew that I was out of my league with Edward but to hear it coming from their mouths was painful. I was also irritated at their assumption that I was a hooker, but she had said that Edward hired them all the time. _No wonder he brought me back to the hotel._ And who the hell is Victoria? My mind was racing with questions when Alice came into the bathroom.

"Hey Bella, Edward was looking for—are you okay?" She rushed over to me when she saw that I was shaking, a tear slipping down my cheek.

"No, I'm not okay." I didn't even bother to lie this time. "I just overheard a conversation about Edward and me. They said that I was…well…that I didn't live up to Edward Cullen. They thought I was a prostitute. Oh yeah…and apparently Edward hires hookers all the time and who the hell is Victoria?" Alice gave a small laugh. I didn't see anything funny in what I just said.

"First things first. You are beautiful so don't let something a couple of jealous 'social skanks' say bother you. Second, I don't know anything about Edward's personal life. You'll have to ask him about that one. Third," she smirked. "Are you a hooker in disguise?" I smacked her playfully. "And last, Victoria is a bimbo that throws herself at Edward all the time. He's gotten fairly good at blocking her advances. Any more questions?" I shook my head feeling much more relieved after Alice's playful explanation. I shouldn't let some gossip girls dictate my evening, but I still felt the hint of inadequacy. Alice laced her arm through mine and looked at me in the mirror on the wall.

"_You_ are a beautiful and smart woman. _You_ are a beautiful and smart woman." She was chanting her Bella mantra again as if saying it enough would make it come true. After she was finished filling me with affirmations, she pulled me to the door.

"Come on, someone is waiting for you on the other side of these doors and he's not a patient man." Alice shoved me through the door and there was Edward waiting for me. He walked over and took my hand.

"Dance with me, beautiful." I wanted to protest but I had missed him since we arrived so I took his hand as he led me to the dance floor. A slow song from the early nineties was playing softly as he brought me into his arms.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been much of a date this evening," he whispered in my hair.

"It's okay Edward. I've been enjoying myself." He pulled me closer, his mouth next to my ear. His beautiful tenor voice sang the song softly in my ear as he rotated me around the floor.

_Look into your heart, you will find_

_There__'__s nothing there to hide._

_Take me as I am, take my life._

_I would give it all, I would sacrifice._

_Don__'__t tell me_

_It__'__s not worth fighting for._

_I can__'__t help it,_

_There__'__s nothing I want more._

_You know it__'__s true._

_Everything I do, I do it for you._

He hummed the last few lies of the song as I rested my cheek on his shoulder.

"You have a beautiful voice, Edward."

"Only when I have my muse." He kissed my nose and then pressed his cheek to mine until the song ended. As he led me off of the dance floor I saw Jessica trying to flag me over. I pulled Edward along as I made my way through the crowd.

"I made a new friend I want to introduce you to," I said as I walked toward Jessica.

"Jessica, I'd like for you to meet Edward Cullen. Edward, this is Jessica." Edward nodded his greeting to her and then wrapped an arm around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"My boyfriend was just here. I want you to meet him." She craned her neck looking for him. "Oh, I see him." She waved to someone behind us. We turned around to meet Jessica's boyfriend and I was met with a pair of cold blue eyes.

"Mike, this is Isabella. The friend I was telling you about earlier." My blood felt like ice water running through my veins.

"Good evening, Bella."

**The song Edward was singing is **_**Everything I do, I do it for you**_** from the Robin Hood (my favorite movie) soundtrack, sung by Bryan Adams. This was an extremely popular song in the early 90****'****s (Yikes, does that date me a little?). For all you under thirties out there go check it out on youtube. It****'****s a beautiful song with a nice piano melody in the beginning.**


	14. Chivalry Isn't Dead

**Chapter 14**

**Chivalry Isn't Dead**

**EPOV**

I don't think I've ever played such a terrible round of golf. Carlisle had noticed that my mind was elsewhere and had suggested that we cut our game short. All I could think about was Bella and her declaration in the elevator that she was ready for something more and what exactly that meant. We turned in our clubs and waited for the car to be brought up by the valet.

"Bella seems to be a nice girl." Carlisle commented casually, however I recognized his observation as a stealth way to get more information for my mother. I sighed and decided to give her what she wanted.

"Yes, she's pretty amazing." I said truthfully.

"Is it serious?" He asked.

"No, we're just enjoying each other's company while I'm in New York."

"You're fooling yourself, Edward." My father had a disapproving tone to his voice.

"Dad, it's only been a year since the divorce, I'm not ready for anything serious."

"She's nothing like Tanya." I winced at his observation.

"I know that." A sting was evident in my remark, letting him know that he was about to step over the line.

"You're going to have to let go of the idea that you failed, son." He told me with a sympathetic expression. "I look at Bella and I see Esme. She's kind, compassionate, smart and beautiful." I couldn't argue with his assessment. Bella was a lot like my mother.

"Yes, she is all of those things." _And more_.

"Just don't wait until it's too late." He patted me on the shoulder as we climbed into the car.

The ride back to the hotel was spent in comfortable silence. I was contemplating all of my options when it came to Bella. I could envision a permanent future with Bella, but not now, we lived on different sides of the country and I wasn't willing to relocate to New York right now.

Commitment was not something I was willing to jump into at a moment's notice. I didn't trust my judgment when it came to relationships. I had thought Tanya was _the_ one. I never thought she would do the things that she did. I never anticipated that our marriage would end with distrust and bitterness. I didn't want that with Bella. I needed to know for sure that it won't happen again before I lay my heart on the line, and can a long distance relationship even work?

We arrived at the hotel and I practically ran to my room, only to find it empty. _Bella must still be with my mother_. I pulled out my phone and sent her a text message. I groaned when I got her text confirming that she was still shopping. My mother was almost as bad as Alice, so I knew that if I didn't intervene, she would be there a lot longer than I was willing to be away from her. I sent a text to my mother, knowing that she would forgive my impatience. When I didn't hear back from either one of them I tried Bella again, hoping not to look like a desperate fool.

Still no reply. I wondered for a moment if Esme had confiscated Bella's phone. _No, that_'_s something Alice would do. Not my mother._ I could send a car for her so my mother could continue shopping and I could have Bella here, with me. I sent another message asking her where she was and that I would send a car for her. I waited another agonizing five minutes before I finally realized that for some reason she was ignoring my messages. I gave up all pretenses that I wasn't aching to see her again. I sent one last message telling her I missed her and decided to go down to the lobby and arrange for a car for the evening. As I reached the door, I heard the key card slide in and then my angel appeared in the doorway.

I couldn't wait a second longer to have her. I wrapped my arms around her and had her pressed against the wall devouring her lips hungrily. My mind was going back over all the little fantasies I had conjured up during the time that we were apart, excited to have the real thing in my arms. I was going to tell Bella exactly what I wanted to do to her when I heard Alice's annoying voice penetrating my lust filled brain. I growled internally at her _wonderful_ timing.

Alice came out of the foyer and found us in a heated embrace. If I wasn't so damned frustrated at the interruption, it might have been funny to see the shock that registered across her face. She recovered quickly and then demanded that I give Bella over to her so she could help her get ready for the evening, I sighed and reluctantly let her go.

I spent the next hour trying to control the raging emotions that I had from one to many false starts today. Bella didn't help my fantasies when she came out in the sexiest black dress I had ever seen. I tried to convince her to skip the party and stay in bed with me but I swear my family has a '_Edward_'_s Having Sex_' radar, because they interrupted once again.

We met them in the lobby and drove together in a limo provided by the hotel. By the time we arrived at the 5th Avenue venue I was ready to kill Emmett. _A sexually frustrated Edward is not someone that anyone wants to mess with._ Not knowing how close he was to dying, he spent the drive over retelling every embarrassing moment I had growing up. I forgave him only because he had put a smile on Bella's face, even if it was at my expense, it was worth it.

I barely had a chance to notice the great job that Alice had done planning the event before I was dragged away by Emmett to meet some of the new clients that he had secured over the last year. I shot Bella an apologetic look at abandoning her but she just waved a hand letting me know that she would be fine.

"Edward, I'd like to introduce you to James Johnson. He's one of the founders of Johnson, Smith & Wilson, the investment firm we merged with last year." I remembered the deal perfectly and that James was the hold out while we were in negotiations. We had almost resorted to a hostile takeover because of his reckless decisions. He had cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars with his stubborn stupidity. I shook his hand and swallowed the irritation I had bubbling under the surface.

"Nice to meet you, James." I released his hand as quickly as was polite and faked the need to speak with Alice to get away.

I looked around for Bella and found her laughing with a girl I had never met before. She looked like she was enjoying herself but I wanted to apologize again for abandoning her. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck lightly. _She tastes like strawberries. _

"I'm sorry, love. I have to go talk to my sister but I wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

"I'm fine, Edward. I can entertain myself. Besides, with you near me, I wouldn't feel right about indulging in all this sinful delight." She waved her hand at her plate and then the chocolate buffet. I chuckled softly, placed another kiss on her neck and headed for Alice. I found her talking quietly with Jasper by the dance floor so I joined them.

"Hey." Jasper, _a man of many words_, greeted me when I walked up.

"Hey Jay." I shook his hand and leaned down to kiss Alice on the cheek

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked looking around.

I pointed over to the buffet. "She's talking to a lady over by the buffet. I wanted to come over and thank you for helping put this event together. It's perfect." She beamed at my acknowledgment.

"It was a lot of fun and I got to work with Jazz on it." She said as she looked lovingly at Jasper who returned the look.

"You guys are too sappy. Suck it up." I punched Jasper lightly. "Be a man." He laughed and pulled Alice to his side.

"He's all the man I need." She winked at me and I shook my head at her.

"Too much information Alice." A hand touched my arm and I turned around to be greeted by the last person I wanted to see.

"Hello Vicky." I groaned inwardly. Victoria was beautiful with her fiery red hair and tall frame but she was the epitome of everything I loathed about my ex wife. She was relentless in her advances. Even when I was married she tried to seduce me into her bed, hoping that if she was my lover it would give her more credibility. It sickened me the lengths that she would go to climb the social ladder.

"Hi Edward, it's been a long time," she purred.

"Not nearly long enough." I mumbled under my breath. If she heard me, she chose to ignore it.

"Dance with me, Eddie," she begged as I shook my head and removed her hand from my arm.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I have a date for the evening." She pouted and grabbed for my arm again, which I easily dodged.

"I don't care. I haven't seen you in ages."

Emmett arrived just in time. "Vicky, my dear, I have someone I want to introduce you too." He offered her his arm and she gladly took it. _I guess it didn_'_t matter which Cullen she was seen with. _I watched as Emmett introduced her to some random sucker and then quickly made his exit back to us.

I turned on my heel and left looking for Bella. I saw her just as she entered the ladies room and decided to wait for her outside the door. Alice came by a few minutes later. I pulled her to me before she went into the ladies room and asked her to tell Bella I was waiting for her.

After a few more minutes Alice emerged with Bella. Their arms locked together. I couldn't help but be amazed at the way Alice took to Bella. She was awful to my girlfriends in high school and she tried to run Tanya off when we were dating, eventually giving up and bitterly accepted her when we were finally married. _Not with Bella_, from the moment they met at the hotel Alice accepted her, embraced her even. I closed the distance and took Bella's hand in mine

"Dance with me, beautiful." I led her to the dance floor where one of my favorite nineties song was playing softly. The beginning piano melody reminded me that I had not shared the musical part of my life with Bella. _There_'_s a lot we don_'_t know about each other._

"I'm sorry. I haven't been much of a date this evening." I whispered inhaling her sweet scent.

"It's okay Edward. I've been enjoying myself." I pulled her closer, my lips next to her ear. I was lost in the song and the feeling of having her in my arms again. I began to sing to her softly.

I hummed the last few lines of the song softly. My cynical side let loose as I thought about the words to the song. Fighting for love and sacrificing everything you have for it only happened in fairytales. When things get hard most people don't fight, they walk away.

Bella's voice pulled me out of my negative thought process. "You have a beautiful voice, Edward."

"Only when I have my muse in my arms." I kissed her nose and then pressed my cheek to hers until the song ended. I led her off of the dance floor until she was pulling me towards the woman she was talking with earlier

"I met a really nice woman tonight and I want to introduce you to."

"Jessica, I'd like for you to meet Edward Cullen. Edward, this is Jessica." I nodded my greeting to her and wrapped my arm around Bella's waist, resting my chin on her shoulder.

"My boyfriend was just here. I want you to meet him." She craned her neck looking for him. "Oh, I see him." She waved to someone behind us. We turned slowly to meet Jessica's boyfriend and I recognized Mike immediately.

"Mike, this is Isabella. The friend I was telling you about earlier." Bella stiffened in my arms.

"Good evening, Bella." Mikes voice held a note of familiarity. I looked down at Bella to see a panicked look in her eyes. I squeezed her arm when she didn't acknowledge Mike.

"Are you okay?" I whispered in her ear. She snapped out of it and stepped closer to Mike. Before I knew what was happening her hand flashed out and slapped Mike hard across his face. The noise from her hand making contact with his cheek seemed to echo throughout the room. Several people stopped what they were doing and openly stared. She pulled back her hand and was ready to hit him again when he grabbed it in mid swing squeezing it like he wanted to inflict pain on her and sneered.

I saw red. My instinct to protect her kicked in and I found one of my hands wrapped around his throat while the other grabbed the hand that held my Bella.

"Let her go!" I commanded. Mike didn't react fast enough so my fingers at his neck began to tighten. When he felt the pressure he let go. Bella yanked her arm away from him and stepped back, fear and hatred lacing her features. She stepped beside me and touched my arm, tying to calm the rage that I'm sure was pouring out of me.

"It's okay, Edward." I eased my hold against the dirt bag in front of me. Jessica who had watched this whole exchange in confusion finally spoke.

"What the hell is going on?" She looked at Bella and then at Mike.

Mike looked warily at his girlfriend and then shrugged. "This is Bella, Jess. My ex."

I was wishing at this moment that I still had his throat between my fingers. This is the creep I would love to rip apart for what he did to Bella. _Standing not three feet away from me!_ Jessica's shocked look would have been funny if the situation wasn't so personal.

"This is the tramp that you lived with? But, but..." She was at a loss for words, which was a good thing because if she called Bella a tramp one more time I wouldn't be opposed to hitting her. I reached over and pulled Bella against my chest and wrapped my arms protectively around her. She was shaking and a tear had snaked its way down her cheek. _How dare they do this to her._

"I think it's time that you leave." I growled at Mike, holding back the urge to drive my fist down his throat. "Don't bother coming in to work on Monday." I added as an afterthought. There was no way I was going to support a man that could do the things that he did to Bella.

"Well that's just great!" He sneered at Bella again. "So, how much are you getting paid, sweetheart? You're screwing my boss like a common whore. Did you plan this? Are you sleeping with him so he'd fire me?" I couldn't stand to see Bella in this much pain. Her whole body was shaking and the tears were freely flowing down her face.

"Leave now, or I will physically remove you myself!" I seethed. Mike laughed a bitter laugh.

"You're the idiot that has her. Watch out man, she'll suck you dry, just like she did me. Then she'll sleep with any Tom, Dick or Harry that will give her a leg up. I hope you have—"

I cut him off as my fist sank deep into his face. I felt his teeth cut my hand as they broke off in his mouth. I pulled my fist back again and let it fly, connecting with his nose. He stumbled backwards and landed in the middle of a table. I was on him in an instant, landing violent punches to any part of his body I could reach. I felt myself fly backwards as the strong arms of my brother held me back.

"Jasper, get him the hell out of here!" Emmett barked. I watched as Jasper and Carlisle picked up the measly excuse for a human and took him outside. Jessica followed after him cursing at Bella and myself the entire way.

"If I let you go are you going to go after him?" Emmett chuckled in my ear. I shrugged him off of me and turned to Bella. She was trembling and her bottom lip was quivering. I reached out for her and she shrunk away from me.

Alice came up behind her and took her by the shoulders leading her over to a couch to sit down. I looked around the room and all eyes were watching me warily.

"Show's over everyone. Since we've taken out the trash please enjoy the rest of the party." Emmett's jovial voice rang out through the crowd; _he was enjoying this way too much._ Esme broke through the crowd and rushed up to me taking inventory and making sure I wasn't hurt.

"What happened?" she cried when she saw my cut up hand.

"It turns out Bella's ex is an employee of mine. He said some horrible things to her and I lost it," I said through gritted teeth. Esme looked at me and smiled.

"Go to her," she said as she tried to push me towards Bella and Alice.

"She's frightened of me. I'm waiting for her to run screaming from the room." I looked over at Alice and she shook her head at me when I went to take a step towards her, telling me to keep my distance. All eyes were still on me and I couldn't take it any longer. Esme had walked over to Bella and put her arms around her in a comforting hug. I knew that she was in good hands so I made my way to the exit. Emmett blocked my way to the door.

"I can't let you go after him. You'll get arrested."

"Move out of the way Emmett."

"Whatever dude. Don't call me to come bail you out." He stepped aside and I went out of the doors. Not really sure what my plan was, but knowing that I couldn't sit back and watch Bella push me away.

**James POV**

_Wow, all that fuss over a woman._ I'm going to have to make sure that Mr. Cullen gets an invitation to the next awards banquet. _That was entertaining_. Hopefully he'll bring my new favorite fascination.

Bella is beautiful, with that hint of innocence that I love. But I know she's not innocent, far from it. I couldn't believe my luck when I overheard the gossip crowd talking about her.

I had to go play with her after I had learned the truth of what she was. She was sitting at the bar waiting for a drink so I crowded in behind her, looking for some kind of reaction from her.

She played the part of doting girlfriend well. It'll make it all the more fun if she stays this cold. I'm always up for a challenge.

Playing with girls like her is safer than someone you date. A plan was forming in my mind. When girls are selling their bodies no one believes that they didn't ask for it.


	15. Making Beautiful Music Together

**Chapter 15**

**Making Beautiful Music Together**

**BPOV**

"Good evening Bella." I stood frozen with fear and uncertainty. _What is he doing here?_ I felt Edward squeeze my arm when I didn't acknowledge Mike's greeting.

"Are you okay?" Edward whispered in my ear.

I snapped. Anger over what this man did to me flashed through my body. I wanted to inflict pain on him for all the hurt and betrayal I felt. I took a step closer to Mike, raised my hand and slapped him as hard as I could. My hand stung from the contact and the little bit of pain and satisfaction that I felt fueled me to want to do it again.

I pulled back my hand and swung it toward him again only to have him grab it. He held my wrist tight and twisted it slightly as he squeezed hard. My mind didn't register the pain but I knew that he was trying to hurt me like I had just done to him. His boyish features turned into a nasty sneer.

My mind reeled back to that day last week when he threw me out. He had that same look and a sense of unease passed through me, I knew I had pushed him too far this time. _He's going to hit me. _

I saw Edward out of the corner of my eye quickly wrap one hand around Mike's throat while the other grabbed the hand that held my wrist.

"Let her go!" He commanded in a voice that sent a chill down my back. After a moment, Mike's grip lessened and I yanked my arm away from him and stepped back. I had so much hatred for this man that I once loved. Looking at him I couldn't see what the attraction was anymore. I stepped closer to Edward and touched his arm. I didn't want him to waste his time or energy on him anymore. _He wasn't worth it._

"It's okay, Edward." I watched patiently as Edward let go. His jaw was tight and he was still shaking with anger. Jessica who had watched this whole exchange in confusion finally spoke.

"What the hell is going on?" She looked at me and then at Mike. _This was the woman I talked to on the phone that evening_. I can't believe I've been hanging out with her all evening. What sick twist of fate would bring us together so cruelly?

"This is Bella, Jess. My ex." I watched as Jessica's face registered what Mike had said. Her friendly demeanor from before had turned instantly to horror and then hatred.

Edward was standing next to me clenching his fist; his beautiful features were twisted into fury. He looked like an avenging angel, ready to do battle at any moment.

"This is the tramp that you lived with? But, but…." _Tramp? Who the hell does she think she's calling a tramp_? I wasn't the one sleeping with someone else's boyfriend. Anger at her words made my eyes tear up. I tried to suck it up but a tear slipped down my cheek. I did not want to cry in front of these two horrible human beings. Edward reached over and pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms protectively around me_._

"I think it's time that you leave." I heard Edward growl at Mike. "Don't bother coming in to work on Monday." _What comes around goes around_. I felt a small ounce of satisfaction that he was getting what he deserved. He had been the cause of me losing my job too many times, it only seemed fitting that I returned the favor.

"Well, that's just great!" He sneered at me. I had heard that tone one too many times. _He's about to let loose with one of his tirades_. "So, how much are you getting paid, sweetheart? You're screwing my boss like a common whore. Did you plan this? Are you sleeping with him so he'd fire me?"

My whole body was shaking and the tears were freely flowing down my face with his words. I knew in the back of my mind that what he was saying was not true but it still didn't make it hurt any less. All of my insecurities came rushing at me at once.

Would Edward think that getting Mike fired was the only reason I stayed? I didn't even know that Mike worked for Edward. I looked around and noticed that everyone was watching the exchange. I felt mortified that I was embarrassing Edward. He had been nothing but wonderful to me. He's taken me in and made me feel special, like I was worth fighting for. Now, with all of my dirty laundry aired out for the world to see, I've become a liability. How will this affect his business? How will this affect our relationship?

"Leave now, or I will physically remove you myself!" Edward seethed.

Mike snickered at Edward before he continued his rant.

"You're the idiot that has her. Watch out man, she'll suck you dry, just like she did me. Then she'll sleep with any Tom, Dick or Harry that will give her a leg up. I hope you have—"

Edward cut him off as his fist sank deep into Mike's face. I stood motionless, fear flowing through me at what was happening. Edward pulled his fist back again and connected with Mike's nose, toppling him over onto a nearby table. Edward leaped on top of him landing punch after punch. Emmett was there in a flash, pushing past me and ripping Edward away from Mike's limp form. I stared at Mike's bleeding body, shocked at what I had caused.

"Jasper, get him the hell out of here!" Emmett barked. I watched as Jasper and Carlisle picked up Mike under the arms and pulled him to the exit. Jessica came up to stand inches from my face and screamed at me.

"Are you happy that you got him fired? He did nothing but love you and you whored your way into his boss's bed!"

I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything but let her scream at me. She finally turned and followed Mike out the door, screaming obscenities at me the whole way out. The reality of the situation fell on me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't do this to Edward. I had humiliated him beyond forgiveness. He reached out for me and I pulled away from him, not wanting him to comfort me when I was the cause of all the drama.

Alice came up behind me and took me by the shoulders. I let her lead me over to a couch to sit down. When I was away from prying eyes I let loose. Giant sobs racked my body at what had happened. Alice's gentle words tried to calm me down but they only made it worse. I don't deserve this family or their kindness.

"Bella. It's okay, he can't hurt you anymore." Her hand rubbed up and down my back.

"I know he can't h-hurt me. I-It's….What have I d-done? I've humiliated Edward!" I sobbed, burying my face in my hands. I felt someone sit down and warm arms encircled me. I looked up to meet Esme's sweet face. She gently stroked my hair. I gave in and buried my head in her neck letting her take away some of the hurt I was feeling. She was so soothing and motherly that I started to calm down.

"You could never humiliate Edward, Bella." I scoffed at Esme's calming words. "You couldn't. He loves you dear." I reeled back at her statement. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Edward and I are…well, I don't know what we are but I know he doesn't love me. _How could he?_ I gave her a disbelieving grunt.

"He doesn't love me. He's just being kind." She shook her head at me.

"He loves you. He just may not know it yet." She smiled at me kindly and I found myself wanting desperately to believe her words were true. I looked over my shoulder trying to find Edward.

"He left. He needed to cool off," Alice said when she noticed me looking for him. I nodded in acknowledgment. I needed to see him. I needed to apologize for what happened. I needed to beg him to not throw me out on the streets. I needed him too badly and not for what he could give me but because he was the only person that could make things better.

Alice handed me a tissue and I wiped at my eyes, hoping I didn't look too ragged. Esme gave me a small squeeze.

"Go to him. He needs you too." She rubbed my arms in a reassuring manner. I stood up and started for the door. I had to make things right between us. I saw Emmett standing by the doors talking with Jasper and Carlisle.

"Do you know where Edward went?" I asked as I walked up to them.

"Follow the piano." Jasper said with a small smile. "He's a couple of rooms down the hall." He pointed down the hall to the right. I thanked him and ducked out the door.

The exquisite melody wafted down the hall, leading me to a small banquet room. I opened the doors quietly and stood in stunned silence as I beheld a magnificent sight. Edward was sitting behind a beautiful black grand piano at the end of the room. His eyes were closed as his fingers danced across the ivory keys. His body smoothly swayed as his hands traveled up and down, occasionally leaning forward with his head down, letting the music take over his every action. _He is beautiful._ My heart did a little flip and at that moment I knew that I never wanted to be without him..

I walked quietly to the edge of the piano not wanting to disturb his concentration. A small lock of hair fell onto his forehead. My hand itched to brush it away and run my fingers through his thick curls. The song he was playing touched my soul and I couldn't help but feel like it told a story.

His eyes opened slowly and his gaze locked with mine. His fingers never skipped a note, as he continued to play, his piercing green eyes never leaving mine. A tear slipped down my cheek at the intensity of the emotions that I felt. His fingers wavered and then stopped on the keys. He held out a hand, beckoning me towards him.

I placed my hand in his and he gently pulled me down to sit with him on the bench. He reached up and brushed the tear from my face with his thumb, electricity shot through my body where his hand made contact.

"You're so beautiful." He said in a breathy whisper. I searched his gaze for any sign that the events that had unfolded didn't change what was going on between us. I saw a tenderness that wasn't there before.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I made a mess of everything." He placed a finger on my lips.

"No, Bella. You didn't do anything to be upset over. You are worth fighting for and if I had to I would do it again." His finger softly rubbed over my bottom lip. He threaded his fingers in my hair around the back of my neck and pulled me gently towards him. His lips brushed against mine and my heart soared.

"I would do anything for you," he whispered against my lips before claiming them again.

With those words, I knew that everything was going to be okay. I could feel it in the way that he was kissing me, that he still wanted me, but the urgency from earlier wasn't there. Instead it was replaced by a gentleness that left me breathless with need_. I love him._ The thought sent a warm rush of emotions through my body. _I love him_.

I put every bit of feeling I could in kissing him back. Telling him with my actions what I couldn't tell him with my words. He opened his mouth and softly glided his tongue over my bottom lip. I wanted nothing more than to feel the intimate touch of his tongue against mine. I opened my mouth and allowed him access. This time it felt so much different. His tongue carefully stroked mine with that same tenderness that I saw reflected in his eyes a moment ago.

He placed his free hand on my hip and pulled me closer to him on the bench. When that wasn't close enough he put both hands on my waist and stood up with me, never breaking the connection of our lips. The clang of the piano disrupted the silence of the room when he gently sat me on the keys and slipped in between my legs, pressing his body against mine. My hands rested on his chest and I could feel his heart beating against my hand. I wanted so much for his heart to belong to me.

He broke the kiss so we could catch our breath, but his lips never left my skin. They trailed softly across my cheek until he reached my ear, drawing the lobe into his mouth before descending down my neck. My hands entwined in his hair, holding him close as a small sigh slipped out of me. His mouth made a trail of fire across my skin, moving from one side of my neck to the other, until he found his way to my other ear. He kissed the soft spot behind it, sucking it lightly.

My heart was beating loudly in my chest. With every movement that we made, another note permeated the silence reminding me of what his fingers where doing when I arrived. The passion behind the song that he played was a testament to the loving man that was behind the cool exterior. _Could he ever love _me _in return?_

"Bella?" he whispered in my ear as he took it into his mouth.

"Hmmm?" I purred as he bit gently on my ear.

"I need you now. I can't wait." His voice was strained with his desire. I pulled away to look into his eyes and saw raw hunger reflected at me. I nodded my head, knowing that I would love this man with everything I had.

His mouth crashed into mine. His hands had found their way to my hair again and he pulled me closer, parting my lips with his own, his tongue relentlessly sought mine. His hands ran down my back and over my hips until they were resting on the side of my thighs. He massaged them softly as they inched higher, up and under my dress.

My breath hitched in my throat at where his hands were traveling. The feel of his hands on the soft flesh of my thighs sent a tremor through my body. I pulled him closer, in a silent plea to continue. His fingers hooked around the thin fabric and he slowly pulled them down. I lifted my rear up off the keys so he could pull them over my hips and then slid back down, causing more notes to float in the air between us.

When he slid the panties completely off of me he put them in his pocket then he ran his hands back up my thighs, pushing my dress up as he went. I shifted anticipating his touch as the piano keys made another tinkling noise. Leaning in he placed his lips on my ear.

"We make beautiful music together." I could feel him smile against my ear at his cheesy comment and I giggled. He kissed my ear softly and then moved across my face until he was at my lips again.

"It feels like I've waited forever for you," I whispered into his neck.Unraveling my hands from his hair, I trailed them over the strong muscles in his back until they were upon the swell of his perfectly formed tush. I squeezed hard through the layers of fabric and then pulled him into me.

I felt him reach for his belt and quickly had it undone as he shoved his pants away impatiently. I sucked in a breath at the feel of him pressed against me. Slowly, he pressed forward and all reasoning left me. I squeezed and held him hard against me, loving the closeness that came from being connected like this. His tongue trailed a path along my jaw bone sending more waves of pleasure through me.

I loosened my grip, letting him know that I wanted him to move. He groaned and then buried his face in my neck as the clatter of the piano began to multiply. His heavy breathing blew in my ear, causing my own breath to increase and then he groaned. I let out a loud cry and grasped his shoulders tightly as I rode out the waves of pleasure that had engulfed me.

When we came back down he pressed his forehead to mine and kissed my nose softly. He started to pull away and I grabbed him pulling him back.

"Not yet," I whispered into his chest. "Don't leave me yet."

He brought his hand to my chin and tilted it up to look into his eyes.

"Bella, I want to take you away from here. Let's go home."

He used that word again to describe our hotel room. It only bothered me because I didn't have a home. My home was wherever he was right now but where will that be when he goes back to Seattle? I couldn't think about that right now.

I nodded my head and he pulled out gently but then pushed right back into me. Groaning he laced his hands in my hair giving me one more passionate kiss before grudgingly pulling away. I whimpered at the loss.

"Later, love," he murmured, kissing my cheek tenderly then moving to get dressed. I removed myself from the piano, straitening my dress and then held out my hand to Edward.

"What?" He asked a mischievous look in his eye.

"Panties." I said as he chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled them out of his pocket.

"No, I think I'll keep these for now." He slipped them back in his pocket.

"I can't go back out there without underwear on." I complained and held out my hand again.

"Nobody will know but me and we aren't going back in there, we're leaving. I want you alone."


	16. A Night to Remember

**Chapter 16**

**A Night to Remember**

**BPOV**

When we got back to the hotel, Edward suggested a relaxing soak in the tub. My back was comfortably pressed against Edward's chest as we relaxed in the hot water with vanilla bubbles all around us. His hands were wrapped around my waist occasionally rubbing back and forth in calming circles. I laid back and rested my head on his shoulder as he placed gentle kisses along my neck.

His hand slowly ran up between my breasts to my neck and then disappeared back under the water. As it lazily came back up I caught site of the deep cuts on his knuckles. A small gasp came from my mouth as I reached for his hand. I gently brushed the bubbles off of his knuckles with my fingers, trying not to inflict any pain on his injury.

He had defended me. My heart swelled as I brought his hand up to my lips and kissed each knuckle softly. _I love you_, my heart whispered, _even though I don't deserve you. _

"Bella, I want to talk about what happened tonight."

"You mean yesterday." I said as I placed another kiss on his knuckle. "I think it's around three in the morning." He chuckled lightly but then the humor died from his voice.

"I want to apologize for losing my temper. I couldn't stand to hear the things that that piece of filth was spewing." I felt his hands clench into fists with the anger that was still present. I placed my hands on top of his and stroked them softly. "I don't ever want you to be afraid of me again."

I was confused at his statement. "Edward, I was never afraid of you. I know that you would never do anything to hurt me." I said as I turned to look into his face.

"But…you pulled away from me. I thought you were frightened."

"I pulled away because I was mortified at what I had caused."

"You didn't cause anything. None of this was your fault. No one should be treated like he treated you." He stroked my hair tenderly then pulled my chin around to face him.

"You are precious and anyone who has you should treat you as such." He kissed my lips and if I didn't know any better I would say that it was a loving gesture.

"I have to say though, what my mother taught me about hitting women was tested to the limits with Jessica. I couldn't believe the audacity of that woman." He shook his head at remembering the things she had said.

"I was pretty pissed too but then when I cooled down I thought about it. In any other circumstances we could have easily become friends. I liked her up until I realized she was the other woman."

"So he cheated?"

"Yes, that's what started the fight when he threw me out. Jessica called and told me they were having an affair, when I confronted him he turned it back around on me."

"That sick son of a..." Edward growled. "I should have hit him harder." I ran my hands over his thighs and his anger dissolved instantly.

"I don't want to talk about Mike and Jessica anymore." He leaned over and took my ear in his mouth sucking on it lightly.

"Then what do you want to talk about?" I bit my lip not really sure if I should bring up the subject that I had been curious about since I met him. He stopped sucking on my ear.

"Bella, just say it. I can tell you want to talk about something." He leaned back against the tub and brought me with him.

"What happened with Tanya?" He stiffened at my question so I rushed on. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just curious." He sighed and relaxed slightly. His silence was starting to worry me and I was about to tell him to forget it when he spoke.

"Tanya is a social climber. When I didn't help her reach the top she found someone else who would." I could hear the hurt in his voice at the mention of his ex wife. _Did he still love her?_

"That's the simple version. It's a lot more complicated than that but let's just say that we grew to want different things out of life." I rubbed his legs under the water, trying to build the courage to ask the question that was burning in my heart.

"Do you still love her?" I whispered, half hoping that he wouldn't hear me. He let out a long sigh.

"She was my everything for a long time. I guess I will always love her in some ways, but she hurt me too bad to ever be _in_ love with her again. She's not the woman that I married in college." He shrugged trying to dismiss his feelings. "She's getting married next month." A dark laugh came from his lips and I cringed slightly at the foreign sound. "She's marrying my business partner." I gasped and turned around to look at him. I'd never seen that look in his eyes before and found that I didn't like it at all.

"Are you serious?" I asked. He nodded. "How can you stand to be around him?"

"I plan on rectifying that mistake when I return to Seattle. I'm going to buy him out and send him on his way. Hopefully he'll take Tanya with him."

"Is she still running the children's advocacy program?" He nodded his head.

"Yep. She managed to finagle all kinds of things out of me during the divorce, her job being one of them."

I reached my hand up and traced the bones in his jaw. He looked down at me and smiled.

"I don't want to talk about Tanya anymore." He said, throwing my words back at me. His mouth came crashing down on mine. He had my body singing within moments. _I love his method of distraction._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**EPOV**

The sun was just starting to rise when Bella fell asleep. She was pressed protectively in the crook of my arm. I pulled her hair away from her face and ran my fingers over her cheek bone. She sighed and then nestled her face further into me which made me smile.

Telling Bella about Tanya lifted a great burden that I didn't know I had been carrying around. I never talked about Tanya with my family, choosing instead to lock up all of the events within myself. Maybe my father was right. Maybe I was more worried about the failure than I was about the marriage. I have never failed at anything until Tanya.

If I fell hard for Tanya and failed how much harder will it hurt if I tried with Bella and failed? I was just a passenger in Tanya's ride. I didn't have any say in where our marriage turned up. If it would have been me driving we would have continued working on it until one of us was dead, and it probably would have been me. With Bella, any failure between us would rest entirely upon my shoulders because of her innocence. Do I want to be responsible for breaking her like Mike did? _No, I would never do what Mike did to her._

"Edward." Her soft sighs distracted me from my thoughts and I looked down on the angel in my arms. She was so beautiful on the inside and the outside. This evening had been amazing. The party turned out to be a bust with the incident with Mike and Jessica. However, later when she had found me in the banquet room playing the piano and she had told me that all was well between us, I felt hope. Hope that everything was finally going the way that it should in my life. Hope that my future might not be blurred with escorts and frivolous one-night stands. Hope that I may still have room in my heart for love.

"Love you," she whispered softly. I looked down on her and this time I didn't think that she was dreaming about Jacob. This time I thought maybe she was dreaming about me. Maybe she did love me and if not maybe she could with time. The thought made me smile. I pulled her closer and brushed my lips against her temple. This wonderful, sweet, smart girl had me wrapped around her finger. My last thoughts were of her before sleep overtook me.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I woke up to feather light kisses running down my back. "Good afternoon, handsome." Her voice purred in my ear.

"What time is it?" I said as I turned my head the other way looking for the clock. Three thirty in the afternoon. A satisfactory sigh escaped my mouth.

"I've kept you in bed almost a full day. I say we don't get out until tomorrow morning." I grabbed at her pulling her on top of me and nuzzling my nose in her neck. She let out a squeal and tried to pull away, but I held her tight. She finally gave up and rested her face against my bare chest, her small fingers playing with the soft skin on my hip. Having her naked and pressed up against me was a blaring reminder of all the ways that I had loved her the previous night.

Her stomach growled loudly and I chuckled as she buried her face in my chest, trying to hide. _She_'_s so cute when she blushes. _I rubbed her back tenderly.

We spent the rest of the day in bed only coming up for air when our need for food surpassed our desire to satisfy the burn within. The phone rang, but we ignored it. We were lost in the pleasure of one another, nothing else mattered only her and me, exploring every inch of each other until exhaustion had made us give in to sleep again.


	17. Strawberries and Champagne

**Chapter 17**

**Strawberries and Champagne**

**EPOV**

Monday morning came too early. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of a warm bed with a beautiful woman that I spent the last thirty six hours pleasuring in one way or another. I sighed and pulled the covers off of my body and started to move carefully away. Her hand shot out and wrapped around my waist trying to pull me back to her.

"No, don't go." She sleepily pouted. I snuggled back under the covers and pulled her closer to me.

"I don't want to, but I have a meeting this morning," I said as I kissed her forehead softly. She scooted closer to me, throwing her leg over mine. I would give anything to cancel my meeting this morning and get carried away with the beautiful creature in my arms. I ran my hand down her back, enjoying the quiet moment we were sharing, however long it lasted.

"When will you be back?"

"I'll be out of my meeting around three so I should be back here by four." I gave her a long kiss, where she tried to tempt me into canceling my meeting again. I almost relented.

I jumped in the shower while Bella ordered breakfast for us. I spent five minutes cleaning up and then another five minutes under a cold stream of water attempting to tame the beast that was constantly present when she was around. I walked into our bedroom with the towel wrapped low on my hips. She was sitting in the middle of the bed reading the newspaper, the sheets wrapped casually around her. I saw her out of the corner of my eye lower the paper and watch me walk to the dresser.

My back was turned to her as I opened the drawers and pulled out a pair of boxers, I decided it was time to give her a taste of her own medicine. _A spoon full of sugar, love. _I thought as I dropped the towel. I heard her intake of breath and smiled wider as I walked over to the closet, boxers in hand. I took my time browsing the rack for something to wear, feeling her eyes bore into my backside. I reached for a Navy Blue suit when I felt her hands travel up my back and then down again. Her hands wrapped around my waist as she pressed her body against mine. She ran her hands down my stomach descending lower until I grabbed her hands.

Turning slowly around I let go of her hands and cupped her cheek. I laughed softly, kissed her mouth tenderly and then pulled away from her. She moaned in frustration and then stomped back to the bed. Throwing herself face down and burying her head under the pillows.

"Get dressed!" Her growl was muffled by the pillows. I smiled and complied with her wish. As I was straightening my tie she sat up in bed.

"What time will you be back?" She had a naughty look on her face and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.

"Four-ish, why?" She shook her head.

"Just wanted to make sure I was back by then."

"Do you have plans for today?"

She looked nervous all of a sudden and then her face changed to indifference and shrugged her shoulders.

"No. I just wanted to know how long I had before I could see you naked again."

Her mischievous smile returned to her face. _She has something planned. _I prided myself on being able to read people and she didn't have the best poker face, something was up. I walked over to the bed and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Behave." I ordered. She smiled even wider at me.

"Have a good day at work, dear," she said in her best June Cleaver voice. I chuckled and then headed downstairs.

I got to my office twenty minutes later than I had hoped so I didn't have time to go through the stats for my meeting before hand. My assistant came in with the paperwork I had asked her to look for and informed me that Emmett was looking for me earlier. I sat down at my desk and dialed Emmett's office.

"I'm here, I'm here. What do you need?" I held the phone away from my ear as Emmett's booming laugh echoed through the phone.

"In the last five years how often have you been late?"

I grumbled before answering. "Never."

"It wouldn't be because of a beautiful brunette that you disappeared with Saturday evening and then didn't answer your phone at all the next day, would it?" I could hear the smug tone to his voice.

"What do you need Emmett? I'm busy." I retorted, cutting off his line of questioning.

"Have you seen the Post today?" He inquired. I groaned at the thought of the Post. They were ruthless when I was going through my divorce.

"Page six," he said as I groaned again, page six meant it was all over their website too. I hung up with Emmett, flipped my computer on and then buzzed for my assistant. She poked her head in the door.

"Please get me the Post." She nodded her head and within seconds was handing it to me. She grinned sheepishly at me for having one at her desk and then walked out. I quickly flipped to page six and there we were.

Bella looked beautiful in the black dress that she had wore to Rose's Opening Night. She was smiling at me, a twinkle in her eye. My arm was protectively wrapped around her waist. I had a goofy grin that I assume has been on my face non stop over the last week and a half. A smaller picture of Emmett and Rosalie were in the corner of the article. The headline read. IS PLAYBOY CULLEN FINALLY SETTLING DOWN? I rolled my eyes and read the article.

_Opening Night for Mrs. Rosalie Hale Cullen was a smash hit. Her husband Emmett Cullen was in attendance along with his brother Edward Cullen and a new fling to add to his long list of women. Sources say that this new woman, Isabella Swan, accompanied him to the Opening and was also in attendance at the fifth year anniversary of Pacific Northwest Trust New York. She has been seen coming and going from the Waldorf Astoria where Edward Cullen is currently staying. Is this the woman who will nab one of the most eligible bachelors currently in New York? Or will she be another fallen victim in his long list of conquests. We__'__ll keep you informed._

I closed my eyes and sighed, grasping the bridge of my nose and rubbing. _It could have been worse_. I tried to convince myself. At least there wasn't any more information about the anniversary party. I'd hate to think of how Bella would react if it was plastered all over the paper that I jumped Mike in the middle of a formal event.

"Mr. Cullen?" I didn't hear my assistant come through the door until she spoke. "Your appointment is here."

"Please take them to the small conference room and let them know that I'll be there in a few minutes." She nodded her head and closed the door behind her.

I pulled my phone out of the pocket of my jacket and pressed two. Bella answered on the first ring.

"I was going to call you," she said breathlessly. The sound reminded me of her being breathless in my arms as I touched her in a frenzied passion. _Stop it Cullen. You had a purpose for this phone call, _I chastised myself.

"Bella, have you seen the Post?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes, that's why I was going to call you." I inwardly cringed.

"And?"

I could hear her smile on the other end. "Most eligible bachelor in New York, huh?" She teased.

"You're pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?" I teased right back. She giggled quietly.

"I just wanted to make sure you were aware and okay with what they wrote," I said.

"I'm _not _okay with it. They made you sound like some kind of cad." She didn't need to know that they weren't too far off the mark in their assumptions. I was a cad. Since my divorce I had my share of one night stands. I knew there were rumors of me paying for the services of escorts, however nobody was actually able to confirm that I slept with some of them.

"It doesn't matter what they say about me. It's nothing new." She sighed and my mind started to drift off to our last couple of days. I shook my head trying to get my mind back on track.

"I'm sorry, but I have to run. I've got clients waiting for me. Text me if you need anything and I'll call you when I get a chance." We hung up and I gathered all of the paperwork from my desk and went towards the conference room. Just as I got to the door my phone rang. I shifted all the papers into one hand and looked at my phone. A new text was waiting. I opened it and I'm sure I had that goofy grin on my face again.

_To My White Knight_

_Good luck conquering the kingdom. Miss you already. _

_Your devoted Princess_

I smiled to myself as I slipped the phone back in my pocket. _This was going to be a long meeting._

**BPOV**

I flipped my phone closed and flagged down a cab. My first appointment was in a half an hour and I wanted to make sure that I gave a good first impression. The pant suit that Felix had bought on his first shopping trip was very chic. The pants were a charcoal gray and fit me perfectly. They hung low on my hips and had a slightly flared leg. The jacket was a black velvet that was tailored at the waist, one button held it together. Underneath I had a light gray camisole with delicate lace around the neckline. It was professional yet sexy without being trashy.

I arrived at Manhattan Trust five minutes before my appointment. The receptionist sent me down a long hall to another secretary that proceeded to inform Mr. Stevens I was there.

"You can go right in," she said as she motioned at the office to her left. I walked over and knocked lightly before poking my head in. A blond man that didn't look a day over twenty five waved me in, his phone attached to his ear.

"I don't care what it takes. Get it done." He growled into the phone and then snapped it closed.

"I'm sorry about that, Ms. Swan, please come in and have a seat." He pointed to a chair directly in front of him. I walked over and shook his hand before having a seat.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stevens." I was suddenly extremely nervous. I found myself chanting one of Alice's affirmations in my head. _You are a strong, successful, smart woman._

"Please, Isabella, call me Riley."

"Only if you call me Bella." I smiled gaining some assurance when the formalities were dropped.

"So, Bella, it says here that you worked for Tate and Young's right out of Columbia. Very impressive." He looked up and smiled. I nodded my head as he looked back down at my resume.

"You interned there and then was offered a position to stay. You were only there for about six months after that." He frowned slightly. "Then you worked for Robertson's Legal Firm for a year." He looked slightly perplexed. "Why did you leave Tate and Young's to be a legal secretary?"

This was the dreaded million dollar question. I'd been thinking about how I would answer this kind of question for awhile and didn't have a proper answer, so I gave the one I was given when I was let go. "I loved my job at Tate and Young's but I was let go for financial reasons." I looked down at my hands before continuing. "I guess I lost some confidence when that happened so I didn't look in my field of expertise."

"Hmmm." His elbows were resting on the arm of his chair, his fingers clasped together while his pointer fingers where raised to his lips. He tapped them against his lips in deep thought.

"So what could your experience bring to Manhattan Trust?"

I sighed inwardly that he didn't continue pressing for more information. "I have a firm knowledge of mergers and acquisitions. I have leadership skills and have been the key point person on several mergers and I'll work hard." He seemed somewhat impressed by my answer.

After a few more questions on the specific mergers I was in charge of he shook my hand again.

"Well, Ms. Swan, thank you for stopping in today. I will give you a call one way or the other by the end of the day." I thanked him and then walked through the door.

When I closed his office door I let out a huge sigh, relieved that the nerve wracking interview was over. His secretary was huddled between two other women by her desk and they were whispering to themselves when I passed. They all immediately looked up at me. One of them was holding the Post in her hand and looked slightly shocked at my appearance. I smiled shyly at them and then hurried down the hall. Before I got out of hearing range I heard one of them say.

"That's her. She's the one dating Edward Cullen."

"Why on earth is she here for an interview then?" The question confused me but I shook it off.

My next two appointments were a lot less stressful. My answers came smoothly and confidently. I felt good about both of them, but my heart was really set on working for Manhattan Trust. I worried that Mr. Stevens was concerned over my being let go. _There__'__s nothing you can do about that so let it go. _I climbed in the cab and directed the cabbie back to the hotel.

I walked into the hotel room and looked at the clock on the wall, 2:50. Edward should be getting out of his meeting soon. I called down to room service and ordered strawberries, chocolate and a bottle of champagne then went into the bedroom to change.

Felix had bought several things from Victoria Secrets that I had stuffed in the back of one of the drawers never thinking that I would have a use for them. I pulled out a midnight blue baby doll and matching panties. I felt giddiness bubble up in my chest at what I was about to do. I stripped down and pulled on the delicate negligee, loving how it felt against my skin and then looked in the mirror. Again, it fit perfectly. It looked good and I felt sexy wearing it.

I went into the bathroom and fixed my hair and added some more lip gloss. When I felt like I had done all I could I crawled up on the bed with my phone. Holding the phone at arms length I snapped a photo. After discarding the photo a couple of times, I finally got a good shot. I typed a text quickly to Edward, attached the photo and pushed send. I giggled to myself and waited for his response. My phone rang and was surprised to see on the caller ID that it wasn't Edward but Riley. _How awkward. Answering the phone in a teddy and talking to your possible future boss. _I took a deep breath and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Bella Swan?"

"Yes, this is she."

"Hello, Bella, this is Riley Stevens."

"Of course, Mr. Stevens, what can I do for you?"

"Well I've talked to my partners and we'd like to offer you a job with our company." I squealed internally, bouncing on the bed in excitement.

"That's great." Edward and our deal popped into my mind and I thought I had better let Riley know. "I am unavailable to start for another two weeks. I have a prior commitment."

"That's fine. We'd like you to come in and meet the other partners, but that's just a formality. We can discuss your salary at that time as well."

"Fantastic. Wow, thanks for calling me, you've made my day." I grinned from ear to ear.

"I'll have my secretary call you and set up a time. Welcome to Manhattan Trust, Bella."

"Thank you, Mr. Stevens." As soon as I hit end I let out a big girly squeal. My phone rang again and I looked down to see the goofy grin of Edward.

_B_

_Are you trying to kill me? Running out of the office now. See you in ten._

_E_

I threw on a robe when room service arrived. I had them set up the dessert on a small table in the bedroom. The bellboy gave me a little wink as I handed him a tip which only fueled my embarrassment as they left. Why should I care that they knew what I had planned? I pulled the robe off and climbed back in the center of the bed and waited for Edward to arrive.

My heart started hammering in anticipation when I heard the room door open and the clang of Edward emptying his pockets on the table by the entryway. It was taking him forever to get his sweet little butt in here. I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling it over one shoulder and tried my best to look casual when every nerve in my body was on fire.

He walked in the doorway and stopped. His eyes traveled over my body carefully and then flickered to the table set with the desert I hoped to have fun with later on. A wide smile lit up his face as he walked over to the table and picked up a fresh strawberry. He dipped it slowly in the chocolate and brought it to his lips, wrapping his mouth attentively over the fruit and caressing it with his lips before biting down on it. _I want desperately to be that piece of fruit_.

"Strawberries are my favorite."_Uh__…__They are mine too now. _I licked my lips, eager to taste the strawberries on his lips. He picked up another one, dipping it in chocolate and bringing it over to me. He gently pushed me onto my back and climbed up beside me. He brought it to my mouth, when I went to take a bite he pulled it back leaving chocolate on my lips, then he dropped it down to my collar bone, leaving a small trail of chocolate across my neck.

My breathing became erratic at the sexy way he was bathing me in chocolate. He brought the strawberry back up to my mouth and let me take a bite. Juices from the berry dribbled down my chin and he quickly leaned down and kissed it away, moving up until he had pressed his lips to mine. He growled lightly against my lips and then pulled away. He looked down on me and placed a finger under the lace, tracing it with a sensual touch.

"I love this color on you. You are so beautiful," he whispered before bringing his mouth to my collar bone and sucking off the chocolate that he had previously drew on me. I clutched at his shoulders, pulling him closer. He moved up to my lips, I reached for the buttons on his shirt. When I had them undone he shrugged out of the shirt and I ran my hands over his tight chest, tracing the muscles that rippled under my fingers. He stood up off of the bed, bringing me with him so he didn't break the kiss. He fumbled at his belt for a moment and within a flash had his pants and shoes discarded. He slowly laid me back down on the bed with his chest pressed up to my side.

Our kisses were soft and gentle as he ran his hands over my body, pulling clothing off in the process until we were both skin to skin. He looked affectionately into my eyes until we were intimately connected. The feelings of love were so strong that I wanted to tell him how I was feeling. I wanted to identify with words what my heart was screaming. But I couldn't, not yet. His gaze penetrated to my soul and I knew that he understood. Maybe not completely but he had to know that my feelings for him had changed.

His piercing green eyes never wavered as he brought us both pleasure. I was the one to finally break the mental connection. I felt so protected in his arms. His hand softly kneaded my hip while he steadied his breath. He placed soft kisses along my neck before rolling over. He reached for me and pulled me up against his chest. I rubbed his arm lightly, not wanting the gentle caresses we shared moments ago to stop.

This was the closest thing we had come to at making love. The only thing that was missing was the declarations of everlasting love. I now knew in my heart that I would love this man until the day that I died. I was over chastising myself for loving him when I only knew him for such a short time. I can't fight the feelings anymore and I would tell him if I didn't fear that he would reject me and this blissful existence would end. I closed my eyes and felt his gentle breath against my neck. This is where I always want to be and if holding in my love is what will keep him near me then that is what I will do. _I love you, Edward, now and forever._

**EPOV**

I rubbed small circles on her stomach as her soft hands glided over my arm. The smell of her hair swirled around me and I had a strong desire to hold her to me for the rest of time.

_Something had changed in our relationship_. I could feel it as we made love. _Made love? Yes, that__'__s what we did. _The bond that I felt with this magnificent woman while I was deep inside her was something that I had never felt before. I claimed her as mine the instant that our eyes met. I couldn't pull away from her gaze, nor did I want to. My heart swelled at just being in her presence.

While we moved together it was almost as if I could read her mind. She was begging me to love her and I wanted nothing more than to give her what she longed for. _Could I love her? Yes, I__'__m certain that the feelings that were burning in my chest were love. Could I give her what she wanted? _That question wasn't as easily answered. I brushed my lips against the back of her neck and she shivered with a giggle.

"How did you like your surprise?" I smiled at the way she was fishing for a compliment.

"Mmm. It was delicious." I whispered seductively in her ear. She rolled over so that she was facing me, her beautiful brown eyes locking with mine, then she smiled sweetly and my heart flipped in my chest. _I will do everything I can to keep that smile on her face._ "What did you do today, love?"

Her eyes twinkled with excitement. "I had three job interviews today." I was taken aback at her statement. I didn't even know that she had applied anywhere.

"Really. How did they go?" I asked, her enthusiasm rubbing off on me.

"I got a job offer today." I squeezed her tighter to me.

"That's fantastic. Who with?"

"Manhattan Trust!" she squealed in pleasure. What was once excitement at her accomplishment quickly turned to distrust. I tried to hold in the scowl that threatened to escape. The glimmer in her eye dimmed a little, but then was quickly brought back to its full brightness as she told me every detail of her interview. I smiled, but I don't think it reached my eyes.

Manhattan Trust was the Gray Knight that tried to swoop in and sway Mr. Kingsley to go with their offer. We had many run-ins with their back door business practices. At one point we had taken them to court over them leaking information about a huge deal that we were negotiating causing the stock to drop severely and with it the worth of the company. Bella had the kind of integrity that we were looking for in an employee. Manhattan Trust didn't have the same high standards.

"Bella, how about you work for PNT?" I asked as casually as I could muster. Her face went blank for a moment before she pulled away from me.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Edward."

"Why not? You have everything that we are looking for in an employee." I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her closer to me nuzzling my nose in her neck. "Besides, think of the office romance we could have." I teased.

She stiffened at my words, shoving me away from her. I caught the flicker of a tear as she rolled over and jumped out of bed.

"What? Bella, wait. I was teasing, please don't be mad." I heard her sniff as she pulled on the hotel robe. She tied it tightly around herself and then turned to glare at me.

"I will not sleep my way to the top!" She screamed at me. I was blown away by her sudden mood change.

"That's not what I was saying. I….I…" Realization dawned on me. The things Mike hurled at us during the anniversary party came forefront into my mind. _'__Watch out man, she__'__ll suck you dry, just like she did me. Then she__'__ll sleep with any Tom, Dick or Harry that will give her a leg up.__'_

I was not going to let her run away this time. I jumped out of bed as she turned to flee to the confines of her cell, the bathroom. I caught her as she made it to the door. Wrapping my arms around her waist and bringing her thrashing body up to mine.

"Bella, sweetheart." I said in a soothing voice. "Please, baby, I didn't mean it like you took it. I would never think that you were capable of being that way." I felt her body relax a little against me so I rushed on. "You're more than qualified to fill any position in our company. Hell, you could probably do my job better than I do." I heard her giggle at my admission. I turned her around and saw the wetness on her cheeks.

I pulled her close and kissed her tears away. Her hands wrapped around my neck and I knew I had been forgiven.

"I have to do this on my own, Edward. My life has been in the hands of other people for so long that it feels good to show that I can be independent. That I did this on my own." I saw the pride shining in her eyes and couldn't burst that bubble just yet. Maybe she had other prospects.

"How did your other interviews go?" I asked trying to get more details so that maybe I could steer her in a different direction.

"They went great, but Manhattan Trust is my dream job. I don't feel like I need to look any further," she stated simply.

"Now, Bella, a good business person would look at all of their options before making a decision. Where else did you apply?" She frowned at me but then rattled off several firms and business management groups. _Damn. _I didn't have connections with any of them.

"I think you should follow up with them and see if you can get an interview. It doesn't hurt to keep your options open. Plus, if you have more than one offer it gives you leverage to negotiate." She agreed that she would call them tomorrow.

I know Riley Stevens and he's not one to make decisions without some benefit to himself. The question was did he really think that Bella would be a great addition, I didn't doubt her competence, or did he have ulterior motives? The latter is what was worrying me.

We kissed and made up and kissed some more until we were thrashing around in the sheets. I couldn't get enough of her and it seems neither could she. We finally pulled ourselves together to head down for dinner. I stopped at the front desk to check my messages. The receptionist handed me an envelope. An invitation to an awards banquet for Johnson, Smith and Wilson was elegantly embossed. There was a small folded up note inside the invite. I opened the note and read.

_Mr. Cullen,_

_Please except my personal invitation to our awards banquet to recognize all of the service that our employees have accomplished over the last year. We would love to have you as our honored guest and have you speak for a moment to encourage them of the importance of constant diligence of service in our community. I will contact you in the next few days to make arrangements. _

_Yours truly,_

_James Johnson_

I sighed knowing that I wouldn't be able to refuse the invitation due to the nature of the banquet. PNT strongly encouraged its employees to serve in their communities by offering incentives. My mother had come up with the brilliant idea of getting more people involved in their communities by offering trips and cash incentives for charitable acts. We just transferred our donation funds to the individuals instead of seeing more than half go to administration costs of the charities. We also saw a huge increase in productivity in the workplace. It was a win/win for everyone.

I looked over at Bella who was reading the note over my shoulder. "You ready for another fancy party?" I asked her with a tired sigh. "It'll mean more shopping with Alice." I watched her cringe a little at the thought.

"I'll survive," she said as I tucked the invite in my pocket and then took her by the hand, kissing it softly.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are today?" I flipped her hand over and kissed her palm. Her eyes rolled back into her head and I smiled at the reaction I got.

"Maybe a few times," she whispered.

"Well then it wasn't enough. You. Are. Stunning." I placed a kiss up her wrist with each word. She opened her eyes and I saw that same flicker of emotion that I did when I was making love to her earlier.

_It was Love._


	18. White Dresses and Red Wine

**Chapter 18**

**White Dresses and Red Wine**

**BPOV**

The rest of the week passed by in a blissful splendor. Edward would head off to work bright and early, and I would spend the day in interviews or dropping off resumes. Then we would have dinner together.

I took Edward's advice and called all of the places I had dropped off my resume to. Several had called me back for interviews. I opted out of an interview with the book store and the bank; since I already had an offer with Manhattan Trust, I thought it was pointless to pursue anything beneath my level of education. By the end of the week, I had another offer with a lucrative firm in Manhattan.

Edward seemed thrilled, and I couldn't help but feel like he was pushing me away from Manhattan Trust and towards the other offer. We were at dinner one evening when the conversation came up.

"So, how did your interviews go today?" he asked, eying me excitedly. I shrugged my shoulders as I cut my chicken.

"They went really well. I got a phone call back from Broadway Business Management."

"Yeah…and?"

"And they offered me a job." I stated simply

"That's great! What was the offer?" He said smiling widely at me. I couldn't help but be annoyed. _Why is he so hell bent on having me work somewhere other than Manhattan Trust? _Over the last week he has pushed for me to apply at different firms, always praising the virtues of each company. Every time I would bring up Manhattan Trust he would either change the subject or tell me how I needed to keep my options open. If I didn't know better I would say that he didn't want me to work for them.

"They want me to manage their Business Analysis Department."

"What did you tell them?" He asked like he was an eager boy waiting to open Christmas presents.

"I told them to make up a formal offer and I would get back to them with my answer." His smile was radiant. He took my hand and kissed it gently.

"I told you that you should keep your options open."_There it was again_. I smiled weakly at him but let the subject drop. A few days later the offer came in and it was good. It was more money than I had made at Tate and Young's and the opportunity to manage the Business Analysis Department was exhilarating, but I still would rather work for Manhattan Trust.

Even though I was annoyed with Edward when it came to career searching he was being so attentive that it was impossible to stay angry at him for long. He was getting more romantic as each day passed. It wasn't in the grand gestures that most people would consider romantic. It was in the small things that he would do.

He would stop what he was doing and take me in his arms to dance around the hotel suite, send flowers when he was going to be late for dinner, or surprise me with candle lit bubble baths. The most simple, yet was my favorite was when he would come up behind me and softly kiss my neck, whispering sentimental words in my ear. He almost always had my body and emotions in a constant state of need.

I almost told him several times that I was in love with him only to pull back and swallow my tongue. Every time I almost told him, I saw a glint in his eye before my mouth could open, his warm smile would lure me into a false sense of security before I would realize what the consequences could be to such a declaration and I would instantly snap my mouth shut. He looked at me like an adoring husband would to his blushing bride. The signals he was sending off had me believing that maybe he could feel the same way.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

In the evenings, Edward and I would immerse ourselves in one another. Sometimes we would play chess, which was a lot more challenging now that he wasn't playing it easy on me, unfortunately. Edward was good at strategy and cornering me into situations I couldn't get out of, and it was then I understood how he was fierce in the business world. I only won about a quarter of the games that we would play.

Occasionally, he would take me down to the bar where he could play the hotel piano. I loved watching how his fingers gracefully moved across the keys. It would remind me of the anniversary party and I would instantly want to jump him, dragging him laughing back to our room where we would have a reenactment of that passion filled night.

Alice's shopping trip had been a two day whirlwind of non-stop action. She had taken me to every designer in New York's upper crust, looking for the perfect dress for the awards banquet. She finally settled on a Valentino that she had redesigned. She pulled the skirt off of one dress and added it to the top of another, creating her _own Alice original_. The sales lady was thrilled at Alice's design and agreed to have it finished by the time of the banquet. My only protest was the fact that it was white. Clumsy and white don't go very well together. She reassured me that it would be fine. Again, you didn't argue with the tiny pixie when it came to fashion.

Edward had spent all week coming up with the right things to say to encourage the employees at Johnson, Smith and Wilson to continue their service oriented works. Several times he would sit me down on the couch and pace back and forth as he read to me what he had written. _He seemed so nervous._

"Edward, why are you so nervous over this?" He stopped his pacing and looked sheepishly at me.

"I hate speaking in front of crowds." I was slightly taken aback at his confession. It was hard for me to see this magnificent man that was good at everything be scared of public speaking. _I had to tease him._

"You're kidding?" He shook his head no. "You mean to tell me that _the _Edward Cullen is afraid to speak in front of a crowd?" He nodded his head and then resumed pacing.

"I can handle speaking to a packed board room. It's easy when you are in control and everyone in attendance has to listen to you. It's something completely different when you are supposed to be witty and engaging." He sighed and then plopped down on the chair next to me.

I giggled lightly at his predicament. He glared at me. "It's not funny. You should have seen me at Emmett's wedding. I had to give the toast and I ended up stuttering through the whole thing. After I sat down, Emmett stood up and said 'What the hell did he just say?'" He shuddered at the memory.

I couldn't hold it in any longer and ended up rolling out of the chair onto the floor giggling uncontrollably until he was chuckling alongside with me.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The day of the banquet had finally arrived and I was excited to see if my nervous date could pull off his speech. Alice had the spa find a tanning salon that specialized in spray tans and had them come up to the hotel room. It was a bit embarrassing to stand naked in front of a woman I had just met as she covered every inch of my body in the spray but when I had a chance to admire her handy work I was quite impressed. Alice wanted me to go dark. "Like you've been kissed by the sun the whole summer" she had said. But I disagreed so when the lady arrived I changed the shade so that I had just a hint of color. Otherwise the white dress was going to wash me out too much.

I was starting to get worried when by the mid afternoon my dress had still not been delivered. I tried to call Alice but was immediately forwarded to her voice mail. In a frustrated huff, I tossed my phone onto the bed where Edward was reading some paperwork from work.

"What's the matter, love?"

"My dress isn't here. I've got an hour to—" There was a loud clatter from the doorway.

"I'm here! I've got your dress!" Alice came running into the room with a garment bag slung over her arm.

"Bathroom, now!" She ordered. Edward chuckled softly and then went back to reading his paperwork.

"There was a mix up with the skirt but I think it'll be okay." She unzipped the bag and I looked over the changes that had been made. The strapless A-line dress was made from a lightweight, voluminous tissue taffeta that was silky soft to the touch. The skirt had a bubble hem that ended a few inches above my knee. I noticed that the changes came at the waist. There was a large white scrunched up sash that tied in the front and to the side. I fingered the sash on the dress and looked over at Alice.

"It's beautiful, Alice." Her worried frown turned into a high pitched squeal as she clapped her hands and jumped up and down.

"I'm so glad you approve. It'll look fantastic on you." Then her bouncing stopped and she looked at me like a mother ready to scold a naughty child.

"Bella, what happened to your tan?" She whined. I looked down, holding my arm out for inspection.

"Why, does it look bad? It isn't orange is it?" A note of panic in my voice.

"No…It's just not as dark as I was expecting." I shrugged my shoulders, acting innocently like I didn't know that the tone was lighter.

She waved her hand dismissively at me. "It looks fine, at least now you have some color. We have to go to the island and get you some real sun. Maybe this Christmas" She pondered as she pulled out the dress.

The island? She must mean somewhere in the Bahamas or Hawaii. The idea of jetting off to a tropical island with Alice seemed possible. Where just a couple of weeks ago, I would have never dreamed that it would be possible. She pointed at my clothes.

"Strip," she said.

"Alice!" Edward's warning voice came through the bathroom door. Her one word commands annoyed the heck out of Edward, but I didn't mind.

"I'm fine, Edward!" I shouted through the door back at him. I turned to take the dress from Alice and she had a sly smile on her face.

"He loves you," she whispered as she handed it over.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, curious at how she came to her conclusion.

"He never protected Tanya from me and he does it all the time with you. Plus, you'd have to be a fool not to see how he looks at you. You're good for him, Bella." I was a bit stunned at her assessment. A tear pooled in my eye at thinking that he might love me.

She looked at me curiously and then leaned in to hug me. "You love him too, don't you?" I nodded as a silent tear slipped down my cheek.

"Oh, Bella. You're going to be my sister," she squealed in a hushed voice.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Edward and I have a complicated relationship. He hasn't opened up to me. He just barely told me about Tanya and mainly just the divorce."

Alice sat down on the edge of the tub. "I know these things," she said as she tapped her head. "You are perfect for my brother and it's only a matter of time before he figures it out. Now hurry up and get into that dress. He's going to flip when he sees it."

I shimmied out of my jeans, shirt and bra, trying hard not to mess up my hair and make-up. I was thankful when I noticed that a bra was sewn into the inside of the dress. I held the dress in place so Alice could zip me up. She picked up a brush and started teasing my hair a little to give it a little height. She stepped back and gave a low whistle.

"You look fantabulous."_Must be an Alice word_. She said before she pushed me out of the bathroom and called for Edward. He came into the room with a pleasant smile and walked up to me, giving me a kiss on the cheek and then brushing his lips against my ear.

"You look amazing, my dear." He said quietly before placing another kiss below my ear and leaning back. My heart was doing flip flops again. _Why is it that he has this effect on me?_

Alice cleared her throat to get our attention. "My work here is done," she said dramatically before turning and bouncing her way out of the room.

"We should get going." He went to the vanity and wrapped his tie around his neck. There was just something very comforting watching him do ordinary tasks that we all have to do. I found myself staring at him frequently as he shaved or cleaned his ears with a Q-tip. He seemed so perfect that I needed these small reminders to show that he was indeed human.

He smiled at me in the mirror when he caught me watching him. Then he flipped his collar down and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it. It wasn't working, but I loved it. I could tell by his demeanor that he was still nervous. I walked behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"You'll do great Edward." He gave a curt nod, to appease me, but I knew that he didn't believe me. He clasped my hand in his and we headed for the door.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

We had arrived and were promptly seated in the front of the room, right next to the podium. We had a couple of hours before he had to give his speech so Edward towed me out on the dance floor. He pulled me to him and we slowly swayed around the floor. I had grown accustomed to his lead with all of the moments he would pull me into an impromptu dance around the suite.

His cheek rested softly against mine while one hand was pressed into my lower back, pulling me closer with each movement. His other hand was wrapped around mine where he held it to his chest, occasionally bringing it up to his mouth to kiss my knuckles. A flash from off of the dance floor caught our attention so we both looked at where it came from. Another flash blinded my eyes and Edward spun me around so the offending cameraman wouldn't get another shot.

"That is so annoying," I muttered under my breath.

"Ignore it, love, it's going to happen." Then he smiled down at me and my annoyance disappeared. I smiled back at him, loving the closeness we had shared over the last week.

"I want to keep that smile on your face always," he whispered as he bent down and gave me a soft, chaste kiss on the mouth.

A gentleman I had never seen before came out onto the dance floor and tapped Edward on the shoulder.

"Mr. Cullen, I hate to pry you away from this lovely lady but we have a slight mix up with the awards and need your approval before we can move forward." The older gentleman smiled apologetically to me then waved over someone behind me.

Edward kissed my hand gently. "You don't mind if I go with Mr. Wilson, do you, love?"

"No, no. Please go and get things cleared up, I'll be fine, but you owe me another dance." I said in a teasing tone.

"I'm sorry, my dear, why don't you finish your dance with Mr. Johnson. He's pretty light on his toes." Mr. Wilson motioned to the person behind me. I saw Edward stiffen beside me slightly and then a smooth voice that I had heard before cut through the air, causing me to shiver slightly.

"I would love to dance with as beautiful a lady as this. Don't worry, Mr. Cullen; I'll keep her entertained for you." Edward looked like he was going to change his mind.

"It's okay, Edward, go." He gave me an apologetic look and then gave James a hard glare before kissing my cheek softly and followed Mr. Wilson off the dance floor.

I turned to face the pond scum that weaseled his way onto my dance card.

"Shall we?" he asked as he held out his hand to me. I reluctantly placed my hand in his and he pulled me a little too close. _Personal space there buddy. _I took a step back trying to put distance between us but he pulled me even closer to him. I gave in just so that I didn't cause a scene, but my voice was filled with venom when I spoke.

"I only agreed so Edward would go take care of what he was needed for. I would never dance with you otherwise."

"Tut tut, my little minx. The poison coming out of your mouth doesn't befit a lady." He smiled a sly smile at me. Then brought his hand up to brush across my neck. I pulled back away from his touch and defiantly stared him down.

"I hope Edward appreciates the beauty that you have while he keeps you around."

"What does that mean?"

"Just that Mr. Cullen goes through women like water. You'd be stupid to pass up another offer."

"Edward's not like that. Don't believe everything you read in the rags, Mr. Johnson."

"James, please."

"I think not, Mr. Johnson. I have no intention of becoming familiar with you."

"Ouch, Bella, that hurt." _I__'__ll show you pain asshole. _I stepped on his toe hard with my heels. He flinched in pain and then grabbed me tighter, growling slightly before he composed his features.

"Like it rough, do you?" His face was inches from mine; his words blew a strong scent of whiskey across my face.

"Let go of me now, Mr. Johnson." He stared into my eyes for a brief moment before letting me go, but I could see the determination still burning in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I was out of line. Please accept my apology." He turned around and left me standing on the dance floor before I could reply. I felt myself shaking slightly at the exchange that had happened in front of plenty of people, but no one seemed to notice. I walked back over to our table and sat down, hoping that Edward would be back soon. I flagged down a waiter and ordered a glass of wine needing to calm my nerves down before Edward returned.

_That was a small victory Bella_. I smiled to myself. I stood up to that miserable excuse of a man and it felt good. The old Bella, before Mike, would have done the same thing. My mood suddenly lifted at the recognition of the small step I had made. I felt two familiar hands rest on my shoulder and I relaxed a little more. I didn't need to upset Edward before his big speech so I just kept my little confrontation to myself.

I felt his warm lips on my neck. He kissed a slow path from my shoulder to my ear.

"Did you miss me?" His sultry voice turned my insides to mush.

"Of course." I smiled as I turned my head and kissed his cheek. He pulled me out of my chair and danced with me until dinner was announced. As we walked back to our table I noticed that Mr. Wilson was seated at our table with a pretty middle aged brunette. Another man I had not met sat to his left with a woman that looked like she was his daughter. There were two empty seats after we sat down.

"Bella. This is Sean Smith and his wife Candy." I tried to hide my surprise that the woman sitting next to this middle aged man was his wife. She looked a little plastic to me, with bleach blond hair, an over-sized chest for her frame and there was a hint of Botox when her face didn't move as she tried to smile. _Freaky. _I nodded my head in a greeting.

"You met John Wilson earlier, and this is his wife Samantha."

"Nice to formally meet you, Bella. I hope you're not too angry at me for taking your dance partner." He winked at me. I smiled in reassurance.

"Not at all, Mr. Wilson."

"Please Bella, it's John. We're not formal around here." He winked at me again. I couldn't help but to like him.

"So…what did we miss?" James came up to the table with a beautiful red head on his arm. He held out the chair next to me for her and then plopped in the chair on the other side of her, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

"Introductions, James." Mr. Smith said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Well, let me introduce you to my date." He turned slightly towards the bombshell next to him. "This is Victoria. Vicky, you've already met my partners but this is Bella and—"

"Edward," she purred at him over my shoulder. I felt that nagging sensation at the back of my mind that there was something I was missing. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. _This is the woman that threw herself at Edward during the anniversary party. _I clenched my teeth together and looked down at my lap so she wouldn't see the hatred I had for her in my eyes.

"Victoria," Edward said tersely. The sound in his voice told me that I didn't have anything to worry about. _He loathed this woman. _Edward put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him and away from the woman sitting next to me. It was subtle, but I knew that he was trying to protect me from her.

Shortly after the introductions dinner was served. A steady stream of business was the main topic at our table. Edward got in a lively discussion with James and I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. I reached for his leg and rubbed gently while I brought my lips to his ear.

"He's trying to bait you," I whispered. He let out a long sigh and nodded his head then changed the subject directing the new topic to Mr. Wilson.

Victoria held a conversation with Mrs. Smith about the benefits of plastic surgery that was entirely inappropriate at a brothel, let alone a business dinner. I occasionally inserted my opinion in the business discussion, trying to avoid being sucked in to their discussion, but really I just wanted this evening to end so we could go back to our room and be alone.

"Well, Edward, are you ready for the awards?" Mr. Wilson asked cheerily. Edward swallowed hard and I saw the nervous edge return to his posture.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He stood up and kissed my cheek lightly before he followed Mr. Wilson to the podium. Just as Edward reached the stage to go up the stairs I felt something wet run down my shoulder and onto my dress. I looked down and saw what looked like red wine covering the right side of my chest.

"Oops. I'm so sorry," Victoria said sounding anything _but _sorry.

I turned towards her quickly. Not wanting to cause a scene I leaned down so only she could hear me. "I'm sure you are," I straightened back up to see an evil smirk playing at her lips. Tears were starting to gather in my eyes and I decided that I needed to get out of there before I made a fool out of myself or Edward saw what happened. He would love any excuse to get out of speaking and I would not be the cause of another embarrassing moment for him. I quickly walked towards the bathroom, glancing over my shoulder to see that Edward was shaking hands with several recipients and hadn't seen me leave.

I shoved open the door to the bathroom and the flood gates were opened. Mad tears streamed down my face as I walked over to the mirror to assess the damage to the dress. I ripped out some paper towels and ran it under water then blotted at the stain in a frustrated rant. _It was ruined. _I cried for the beautiful dress that Alice worked so hard on and I cried for the perfect evening that was now lost.

I heard the bathroom door open and close and then a distinctive click that it was being locked. With tear stained cheeks I turned to see who had come in and was stunned to see James staring back at me a sinister smile at his lips.

He stalked closer to me and I had a sudden urge to flee. His voice sounded hard with a cutting edge when he finally spoke.

"Hello, my beautiful Bella. Now it's time to see how much of a lady you _really _are."


	19. Independence has a Price

**Chapter 19**

**Independence has a Price**

**BPOV**

I was terrified. The look in his eyes left no room to doubt that he had a determined goal in mind and I was not going to like the outcome. I straightened my back and tried to hide the shiver that ran down my spine. I pushed my chin out confidently and started to walk past him.

"This is the ladies restroom, Mr. Johnson. I assume that we can add illiterate to the long list of unscrupulous behavior you possess,"I said snidely as I tried to pass by him. He didn't move and I had to squeeze past him. As my arm brushed against his, he grabbed a hold of it and spun me around to face him. I slammed into his chest. His other hand latched on to my other arm holding me against him.

"You're not going anywhere." He smiled down at me and that uneasy feeling intensified. His fingers were digging into my arms painfully. I tried to pull away from him but he held firm.

"Let go of me now." I seethed. He shook his head slowly.

"No, dear. You are going to listen and do as I say." I tried again to pull away from him, but he just pressed my body closer to his. I finally gave up and turned my face to the side. I contemplated yelling, but the last thing I wanted was another incident like at the anniversary party so I held still, hoping that once he said his peace he would leave me alone.

His face inched closer to my ear and I turned my head as far away from him as I could. I felt his lips brush against my ear and I started shaking. I wasn't sure if it was from fear, anger or a combination of both.

"Edward's not going to be around forever. He'll get tired of you. Prostitutes are easy to replace." My back stiffened and I turned my face to glare at him. What I saw in his face scared the hell out of me. He wasn't finished, not by a long shot.

"I'm not a hooker," I stated, my voice shaking. His grin got more malicious.

"That's not what I overhead." He stared into my eyes like he was trying to make me submit.

"You're a liar." I whispered.

"I have a proposition for you, Bella. Come to me when Edward is finished with you. I can give you everything that he has and more." He leaned in and dragged his nose down my neck until he came to my shoulder and then he bit down.

It was an automatic reaction. Being a cop's daughter had its benefits, one being that Charlie had insisted I take self defense classes. I brought my knee up hard into James' crotch. He grunted, but didn't release me, if anything he tightened his hold.

He hissed as he moved his hips, trying to protect himself from another attack. He grabbed my arms tighter, crossing them over my chest and slammed me back against him. His breath was ragged in my ear.

"You'll pay for that." I could hear the pain in his voice, but his determination was even more fierce. "Maybe I'll give you a taste of what to expect when you're mine." My arms were pinned between us. His hand was in my hair pulling hard.

He took my neck between his lips and sucked hard, leaving a painful mark. I started wildly pulling against him, when that didn't work I pinched, scratched and pulled everything that my fingers came in contact with only to feel him tugging harder on my hair, trying to make me surrender. I was in full panic mode now and I wasn't going to stop until he released me. I squirmed and kicked and then I felt pain shoot across my face as his forehead slam into mine. I saw stars for an instant and then everything went out of focus. I willed myself not to surrender, not to black out right now. If I was unconscious who knows what he would do to me. I stopped my assault and blinked several times trying to refocus.

"You like it rough, don't you, pet." He spit out menacingly. I could feel the spittle from his words drip down my neck. I couldn't move. The fear and possible concussion that I was feeling had paralyzed me into submission.

"I can see you're not going to come willingly, my Bella. So I'm going to take what I want now." He shoved me against the counter and then I felt his hand rake down my hips until he found the hem of my dress.

My last hope was that someone would come. I sucked in a breath and screamed with everything I had. I felt his fist slam into the side of my head, cutting off my only form of rescue. I took another deep breath and was going to unleash another cry when his mouth crashed into mine. His hand was in my hair forcing my lips to his. I pressed my mouth closed, ignoring the pain in my scalp and his teeth pressed hard against my lips. I tried to move my head but his grip was impossible to break.

Hot tears were streaming down my face as I struggled to get away. He pulled away long enough for me to let out another screech before his hand came up and covered my mouth. He stared into my eyes with hatred that I had never seen on anyone before. I felt a chill run through my body that told me that this man wouldn't think twice about killing me. I had no choice but to submit.

**EPOV**

"Where's Bella?" I asked Mr. Wilson when I came off of the stage. I felt a little disappointed that she had missed my speech. For once I didn't humiliate myself speaking in front of the crowd. I attributed it to Bella, she had faith in me and because she was rooting for me, I had faith in myself. But then I find that she wasn't even there to listen.

"She went to the ladies room. She spilled wine on her dress." Victoria cut in before Mr. Wilson could answer. I chuckled to myself as I thought back to the numerous times Bella muttered under her breath about a white dress being a disaster waiting to happen. _Self fulfilling prophesy_.

Victoria slid into Bella's seat and batted her eyelashes at me. _Did women really think that was attractive?_ Bella would never bat her eyelashes at anyone. Victoria leaned closer to me as I leaned away slightly, trying not to be rude.

"You don't need to call escorts, Edward. You can call me anytime." I felt her hand travel up my leg and I jumped slightly at the contact. I placed my hand over hers and removed it.

"What are you talking about, Victoria?" I snidely said.

"Bella. You don't have to pay for it. James told me about you and Bella." I looked over at where James was sitting to find an empty seat.

"I don't know what James told you, but he is mistaken." She looked slyly at me with an unbelieving look. Her hand returned to my leg. I shot out of my seat.

"If you'll excuse me," I said curtly to the occupants of the table. Mr. Smith gave me an odd look before I turned around and walked towards the bar. I grabbed a beer from the bartender and headed towards the restrooms, hoping to catch Bella when she came out and see if she wants to slip out unnoticed. I heard a scream coming from the bathroom. I ran over to the door and tried to pull it open, but it was locked. I rattled the door handle hard.

"Bella! Are you in there?"

"Edward!" There was fear behind her voice and panic set in.

"Bella! Are you hurt?" I heard a small whimper come from the other side of the door. I took three steps back and got ready to kick the door in when it was flung open and James ran out. Before I could register that he had been locked in the bathroom with Bella, he was gone. I ran in the door to see Bella crumpled on the floor. Her head was in her hands and she was sobbing.

I sunk down next to her and pulled her into my lap. Her hands clutched at my shirt as she buried her tear soaked face into my neck. I ran my hands over her back, trying to calm her down.

"Bella, what happened? Are you okay?" I soothed as her sobs turned into little hiccups. She shook her head, unlatching her hands from my shirt and bringing them up around my neck. She pulled away so that I could see her face. She had a small purplish bruise over her cheek bone and one on her forehead. Dark tears slid down her face where her mascara made trails down her cheeks. _What in the hell happened to her?_ It reminded me of that first night when I had found her lying on the sidewalk and how vulnerable she was. Just like then I wanted to protect her with everything that I had. I brushed the tears from her cheek and then kissed where my fingers had been. _How did she get the bruises?_ _Did James do this to her?_

"J-James thought I was a hooker. My jaw clenched, why would he say something so hurtful to Bella? "Then he told me that when you were tired of me…he…he—" Another sob racked through her body and I pulled her closer to me. "He said that he would give me everything you did if…if…" Another sob ripped from her lips. _I wanted to kill the bastard. _

"It's okay, Bella. I'm here now. I won't let him hurt you again." She nodded into my chest.

"He…he…hit me. He was going to rape me, but then you came and he stopped," she whispered. I almost didn't catch what she said and then her words washed over me like an ice bath. Red flashed before my eyes and I contemplated how I could run him down and hurt him with everything I had. Mike left his mark on her over two years of hell, but James managed to do it in fifteen minutes. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down, knowing that she needed me more than I needed vengeance. It took everything I had to stay with Bella and not find that piece of filth and rip him to shreds. I reached for my phone and dialed the police.

"This is Edward Cullen. I need to report an assault." I told them to meet us at the hotel and then gave them a brief description of James. Bella sat motionless on my lap as I relayed everything that she had told me. I flipped my phone closed and swept Bella up in my arms. I was sure that James was long gone and even if he wasn't it was better that we didn't run into him because I would kill him if I saw him now. I walked quickly out of the restroom and into the lobby. The valet flagged us down a cab and I gently climbed in the car with her still wrapped around me. I whispered to her the entire drive back and she seemed to have calmed down.

I went to carry her up to the room when she put her foot down. "I will walk, Edward," she said sternly. "I've had enough humiliating experiences being carried through the hotel lobby. I won't have another one." She gave me a small smile and I knew that she was going to be okay. I nodded then held out my hand for her to take as I led her up to our room.

The next hour was spent with the detective going over Bella's statement. I ended up calling my assistant and had her run down to the office to get all the information we had on James. She brought everything to the room and the detective told us that they would call us to come down to identify James when they had him in custody. I thanked my assistant and the detective as they left.

Bella was lying on the couch, staring up at the chandelier. I came over and sat on the floor by her head and stroked her hair gently. Her eyes focused on me and I saw a strength that wasn't there before. _She has grown into an independent woman_. She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair and I leaned in to her touch.

"Edward?' she whispered softly

"Yes, love?" I asked as I gazed into her beautiful eyes.

"Make love to me." I wasn't expecting that request. Most women after experiencing a tragic event like what happened this evening didn't want to be near men.

"Bella, I don't know if that's a good—" I started before I was cut off with her soft lips pressing insistently against mine, her hands running through my hair. I lost all thought of reasoning and scooped her up, carrying her into our room.

I made love to her, like we had done so many times over this past week. She responded to every touch and every whisper. Her body sang for me over and over again as we entangled ourselves together and became one.

When she finally fell into an exhausted sleep I made my plans. Tomorrow I would tell her what I wanted with our relationship. I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing her again when I left next week. Tomorrow I would offer her everything I could.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

We received a phone call from the police department early the next morning informing us that they had brought James in for questioning and they needed Bella to make a positive identification. We were dressed and in a cab within twenty minutes. Bella quietly looked out the window.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked her softly.

She turned to me and smiled. "More than fine. I want to see that bastard locked up for good." I was surprised at the confidence that I heard from her. She really had changed from the submissive broken girl I found weeks ago to someone I would think twice about crossing. I kissed her hard before we got out of the cab and we walked hand in hand to the detective's office.

We spent a few minutes going over her statement again. They were looking for any variances to the story and I couldn't blame them, it was a hearsay case and there couldn't be any room for mistakes. I was worried how she would do at seeing James again, but I shouldn't have. We walked into the room that held the one way glass as they paraded several men into the adjoining room. James was among them. My hands clenched at my sides and my teeth ground together as disgust for this creep flowed through my body. I tried to relax for Bella's sake but when I glanced at her I saw a small smile playing at her lips. She pointed straight at James.

"That's him. Number three." The only thing that gave away that she was affected by the process was a small shudder when they told all of the men to exit except for James. He stood on the other side of the glass glaring hard at it, trying to intimidate who he probably thought was Bella on the other side.

"Okay, Ms. Swan. We are finished, you may leave now." I reached for her hand, wanting to get as far away as we could from the monster that had tried to hurt my Bella.

"Come on, let's go home." I whispered as I guided her down the hallway and out the doors. _Home. Home is wherever Bella is._ I usually despise staying in hotels but this time things have been different, with Bella there I had someone to come home to after work and it felt good.

We arrived back to our suite and ordered a late breakfast. While we sat at the table eating I brought up what had been in the back of my mind for the last week.

"Bella?"

"Hmmm?"

"You know that I need to go back to Seattle at the end of the week." She frowned at me before answering.

"Yes, I'm aware that you're leaving soon."

"I want to take care of you." I saw her instantly bristle up. "Please, just hear me out." She gave a curt nod for me to continue.

"I want to set you up in an apartment here in Manhattan. Also get you a car and an expense account to take care of all the bills and any necessities you may incur. And…I want you to come to work for PNT." She took in a huge breath like she was going to start talking. I held up my hand. "Please, let me finish. I know that you said it's not a good idea for you to work for me, but I've been thinking about your logic. I can't let the smartest most valued person I know go work for the competition. It would be a bad business move." I could see her struggling to hold back whatever she wanted to say.

"Bella, you won't be happy at Manhattan Trust. They have dishonest business practices. They don't do business in a way that I know you would respect. They are corrupt and crooked where you are honest and ethical, you will be miserable working for them." By the time I finished my argument she had her eyes closed and her head leaning back against the chair. She didn't move for several minutes, finally I broke the silence.

"Bella?" Her eyes slowly opened and I saw fire dancing within them. She leaned over the table towards me.

"You don't have confidence in my ability to be successful at Manhattan Trust." She accused and I heard a hint of pain mingled with anger.

"No, how could you ever think that?"

"I got this job on my own and you will not take it from me. How dare you try to manipulate me and make up false accusations to drive your point home. You are just as self serving as Mike." I cringed at her comparison.

"What is it, Edward? Do you not like being compared to Mike? Well you are trying to make me totally dependent on you, just like Mike. Then you offer to 'put me up,'" she did the air quotes and then continued. "Like a common whore. I will NEVER be another burden on someone again! I will not be dependent on a man as long as I live." She stood up slowly and placed both hands on the table, leaning towards me.

"I will not let you or anyone else bring me to the place I was a few weeks ago. I will not be your whore, Edward!" She screamed the last sentence at me and I was struck dumb at the venom she hurled at me. I sat with my mouth open, wondering how the hell we had gotten to this point.

"I have never treated you like a whore Bella. Not since I found out who you really are." I couldn't believe she had drawn these conclusions. All I wanted was to love her, the only way I could right now.

"You just did, Edward," she whispered as she looked away a small tear sliding down her cheek.

"NO!" I slammed my hand down on the table and stood up. "I want you. I want you to be with me."

"Are you moving to New York?" she asked.

"No, but…"

"See, Edward. I don't want to be the paid mistress that warms your bed when you're in New York! I want all of it. I want the fairytale."

"Bella, please." I begged trying to make her understand. "Just give this a chance."

"It isn't enough."

"Damn it, Bella! I have a life in Seattle. I have barely been divorced a year! I can't whisk you away and live happily ever after. This is it. I can't give anything more right now. Some day, I will, but for now this is it." More tears were sliding down her cheek as she walked around the table to me.

She reached up her hand and slid her fingers across my jaw. I saw it in her eyes. _No, don't say goodbye. Please no._

She pulled my face down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. When she pulled back I opened my eyes and saw what I knew was inevitable.

"Good bye, Edward." A small sob escaped her lips and then she was gone. I stood there for awhile staring at the spot where she last stood. Finally, I sagged into the chair and buried my head in my hands. I don't know how long I sat there praying that everything that had happened was just a bad dream. My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest and she took it with her. I felt the tears starting to gather in my eyes and I pushed them down. I got up and sulked over to the liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle and a glass.

"Well it looks like it's just you and me, Brandy." I said as I filled the glass to the brim before throwing it down and letting the warmth of the liquor fill the empty hole in my chest.

_Why did you let her walk out? Why don't you go after her?_ I raked my hands through my hair and then felt the unfamiliar wetness on my cheek. It felt alien, I hadn't cried for years, not even during my problems with Tanya had I cried. Angrily, I wiped the hated moisture away. _She didn't want me anymore._ As that thought sank into my brain, I filled the glass again and drank it down.

I had a mixture of feelings during our heated argument. I felt proud at the way she stood up and defended herself. She had truly changed into the strong, wonderful woman that I knew she was underneath the broken girl I had found on the streets of New Jersey. Then, there was grief at losing her, the aftermath. _I only wanted to protect her and I screwed up yet again. _I can't do anything right when it comes to Bella. I've managed to lose the only person that I loved _again_. She was everything to me and now she was gone.

I laid my head down on the table and let all of the feelings wash over me. I can't imagine life without feeling her touch, or seeing her beautiful smile.

_What have I done?_


	20. Lady of Misery

**Chapter 20**

**Lady of Misery**

**BPOV**

I fled from the room as quickly as I could. The tears were trailing down my cheeks as I pushed the button to the elevator. I had only grabbed my purse as I left, and leaving with only the clothes on my back, it felt so familiar. It reminded me of the flight from Mike, but this time it hurt _so much more_.

The elevator opened, and I walked in, sinking to the floor and buried my face in my hands and sobbed. The pain of losing Edward was spilling out of every pore in my body. I vaguely heard the elevator doors open and a muffled apology before they closed again.

My tears were freely flowing when the elevator stopped at the ground floor. When the doors opened I looked up to find several people standing outside the elevator with concerned looks on their faces, but nobody entered the elevator. It was an awkward moment as I stood and held my head high as I walked out.

"Are you okay, Miss?" How could I ever be okay again? My heart was ripped out and is currently residing in the Grand Suite on the top floor. I hiccupped slightly and nodded my head in acknowledgment to the gentleman and then made my way outside

I pulled out my cell phone, correction, Edward's cell phone that I would have to return to him, and dialed Jake.

"Hello?"

"Jake, it's Bella."

"What's wrong, honey? You sound like you've been crying."

"Jake, I need a place to stay for a while."

"Sure, sure. Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

"Thank you, Jake." I told him to meet me at the Starbucks near the hotel. I sat down on a bench on the sidewalk in front of the coffee house and waited. My mind wandered to the fight that I had just had with Edward.

I knew deep down that Edward was nothing like Mike, but I couldn't live with his conditions. I was just starting to get my life back on track and he wanted me to become dependent on him. It felt like he was using me, no, _using _was the wrong word, but _expected _me to bend to _his_ needs, go along with what would be convenient for _him. _It hurt. It hurt a lot. The prospect of working at PNT would have made me ecstatic a few weeks ago, but now, the thought only brought excruciating pain as a reminder, at the realization of what I had lost.

While Edward was telling me all of his grand plans, I did feel the sincerity of his words. He _did _want to protect me, but didn't he realize that what he was doing was just a toned down version of what Mike did? I was completely dependent on Mike, and by being so vulnerable, I gave up my free will to him. I was just getting my independence back and was not willing to place my future in the hands of another human being.

Then he had tried to rob me of my small victory at finding a job by telling me all of the bad things about Manhattan Trust. The disapproval that I heard lurking in his voice over the last week was confirmed in his argument. I felt like he didn't have any confidence in my ability to make decisions. He didn't believe in me. Even the company that I had interned with had moments of being a corporate raider. A few incidents aren't worth throwing this opportunity away. Not every company could be the perfectly moral business as PNT.

I picked up my phone and dialed the cell phone number that Riley's had given me.

"Bella! What a surprise. What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Mr. Stevens, I'm sorry to call you on a Sunday."

"It's no problem; I'm just out on the links."

"Well, I wanted to let you know that my prior commitment has ended early so I'm available to start work anytime."

"Excellent, Bella, and please call me Riley." I smiled at his gentle reminder. "Management has meetings all day tomorrow so why don't you come in Tuesday morning and we'll get you started."

"That'll be fine."

"Glad to have you on board, Bella."

"Thank you, Riley, I'll see you Tuesday."

Just as I hung up Jake pulled up and got out of his car, coming over to me he pulled me into a hug.

"What happened, Bells?" he whispered into my hair.

"Oh, Jake." I began sobbing again. If it hadn't been for Edward, I wouldn't have this comfort right now. In a twisted, almost ironic way, I thanked him for that. "He's leaving at the end of the week and I ended it early." Jake gently stroked my hair as I cried into his chest. After a few minutes, he pulled me into his car and we drove to his home.

"Why did you end it early, Bells? He seemed like a nice guy. He seemed like the guy _for you._" I looked out the window blindly, watching the city as it flew by.

I took a deep breath, knowing that relaying the story was going to send me into another crying fit.

"I got a job. It's a great opportunity to be in the field I was educated for." He nodded his head thoughtfully.

"That doesn't seem to be a problem."

"I didn't think so either, but the company is Edward's competition. He's been acting weird about it all week and today he told me not to work for them, but to come work for him."

"What's wrong with that? He sees the value in having you as an employee, that doesn't sound like a reason to end things." I started to second guess my decision when Jake put it so simply, but then I remembered my argument.

"That's what he said, but I can't work for him and have a relationship with him. The gossip would be that I was sleeping with the boss to get ahead, and more importantly I could never be sure if that was the reason or not."

"I see your point. Do you like him, Bella?" He asked the question point blank that I had been unwilling to verbalize since I realized my feelings for him. I just nodded my head softly.

Jake looked over at me for a moment, internalizing my answer. "Do you love him, Bells?" he whispered. A sob tore out of my mouth and I covered my face with my hands. I was trying to fight back the loss that was coursing through me.

"With all my heart," I said into my hands. I felt Jake's warm hand rub my arms tenderly as I spoke the words that had yet to be spoken. I pulled my face up to look at my best friend.

"Well, as I see it, if you love him, don't let an argument over a job stop you from being together."

"I wish that was all it was. He's a Gray Knight." Jake quirked a brow at me.

"A _what_?"

"Never mind." I didn't want to explain my fairytale. "He offered to take care of me but he wasn't willing to move here or even ask me to move to Seattle. When I told him I wanted it all, not just to be a 'kept' woman, he told me he couldn't give me anymore." I watched as Jake's hands tightened on the steering wheel.

"It's okay, Bella. You can stay with me and Mae until you get settled. She's dying to meet you." A wistful smile lit up his face when he spoke of his new bride.

We pulled up to a small house on the outskirts of the city. It was a humble home but I could tell that Jake kept it well maintained. A beautiful girl came running down the steps to the home and flung herself into Jake's arms when he climbed out of the car. She was lathering him in kisses and I couldn't help but smile at the pure joy I saw reflected in Jakes eyes.

He gently pulled her off of him while I climbed out of the car. Jake motioned me over to his side.

"Bella, this is my lovely wife Renesmee." _Wow, that's a mouthful_. No wonder Jake always called her Mae. I looked at the petite girl that had her arms securely around Jake's waist. She had a beautiful smile and warm inviting brown eyes. The thing that caught my attention the most was her hair. I felt a pang in my chest. Her hair was almost the same exact shade of copper as Edwards. I had never seen the color before on anyone else, but here, when I didn't need the reminder, it was taunting me. I put on the best smile I could conjure up before I spoke.

"It's nice to meet you, Renesmee."

"Oh please call me Mae, my mother hated me, why else would she give me such a ridiculous name?" She grinned widely at her joke. "Jake said you'll be staying with us for awhile."

"I hope that's okay. It'll only be until I find an apartment."

"That's fine, Bella, stay as long as you need to." I found that I really liked this childlike woman. She fit perfectly with Jake and he obviously adored her because he couldn't pull his puppy dog eyes away from her. She welcomed me into her home and set me up in their guest room.

"If you need anything, please let me know, you're family now so what's ours is yours." She offered graciously, immediately making me feel welcomed.

"Thank you again. I don't mean to be rude, but it's been a long day and I just want to go to bed."

"Would you like some dinner first? It's almost finished."

"No thanks, I'm not really hungry, but would you happen to have something I could sleep in?"

"Of course, I'll be right back."

I looked around the small room and it felt comfortable. It reminded me of La Push with a Native American feel to it. The bed in the room was made out of small logs and an Indian blanket lay over the bed that I recognized from Jake's old room. There were several wolf prints, framed and hung throughout the room. It was comfortable, but not anywhere near luxurious like what Edward was accustomed too. _Why is it that my every thought turned back to him?_

Mae came back in holding a pile of clothes and a toothbrush. I started to tear up again, realizing that I didn't have anything to my name again. _But, I could start over. I did it after Mike, and I can do it after Edward. I knew I could… I know I will._

"Thank you again for letting me stay." I said. She touched my shoulder gently.

"I'm just so glad that you and Jacob are friends again. He was miserable without you. He has told me everything about you and I was thrilled when he got the call from Edward. He missed you terribly." She smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry." I felt like she needed an apology. I could only imagine how Jake was hurting when she met him. She gave me a questioning look.

"Why would you need to apologize to me?" she asked.

"I hurt Jake really bad when I broke off our friendship. I should have never—" She held up her hand for me to stop.

"Bella, I'm going to share a little secret with you." She looked over her shoulder double checking that Jake wouldn't overhear. "Your fight with Jake brought him to me."

"How?"

"I was in Starbucks when you…talked to him. I noticed him before you got there and I wanted to talk to him, but I was too shy. Then you came in and sat down. I thought you were his girlfriend and dismissed the idea of ever meeting him. While I was waiting for my order I overheard your conversation." She looked sheepishly down then continued her story. "When you left I saw how hurt he was and I couldn't leave without saying something to him. That's how we met. I don't think I would have had the courage to talk to him if he didn't look so down." She looked up and smiled at me.

"I should be thanking you, Bella." I was stunned at this eye-opener. It's funny how something that was so horrible in my life turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Jake. I felt a small sense of relief that Mae had been there for Jake from the moment I walked away from him. I hugged her close to me and the tears of the past hour returned. My emotions were spinning out of control with everything that had happened. Mae rubbed my back soothingly and then pulled back to look at me.

"Everything will work out Bella. Have a little faith." I nodded my head and sniffed back the tears. She left me in my room and I pulled my clothes off and pulled on the pajamas Mae had let me borrow then climbed under the covers. The bed felt so cold and was yet another reminder of how alone I was. My tears fell silently as I recounted every moment I spent with Edward over the last two weeks. The day at the park, the time spent with his family, the amazing date he had taken me on, but the one that I could not relive was the sweet moments when he made love to me. When my mind wandered into unwanted territory I found myself shaking with sobs. _Why couldn't you give me the fairytale? _

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I woke up the next morning, feeling like I was hit by a truck. My body was stiff from the stress that I had been through, and my eyes were swollen from the long night of crying. I rolled over and stared at the ceiling. My first thoughts were of Edward and what he might be doing. When my heart caught up with my mind, the dull ache in my chest returned. I tried to pull my thoughts from the tortures I was inflicting on myself, and was distracted by thinking of the things I needed to do today.

I start work tomorrow and I have put off the inevitable for too long. I need to go to my old apartment. Hopefully Mike hasn't moved the hide-a-key, so I can sneak in while he's at work. _Oh, damn! He doesn't have a job anymore._ A part of me was thrilled that karma had gotten him back, but right now, I really wished Edward hadn't fired him. I'll just go by and see if his car is there, if it is, I'd wait until Jake could go with me.

I went out to the kitchen and walked in on an intimate moment with Jake and Mae. He had her pushed up against the kitchen sink and was kissing her passionately. I tried to back out of the kitchen, but with my clumsiness I knocked over the garbage can in my haste.

"Bella, you're up bright and early this morning." Jake said with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." I mumbled as I picked up the stray pieces of garbage that had rolled out of the can.

"You're not intruding. What are you plans for today?" Jake came over and helped pick up the rest of the garbage.

"I have to go pick up my things at my old apartment."

"Take my car. I'm not going anywhere today." I smiled at Mae's offer.

"Thank you," I said, grateful for her kindness. Jake had a concerned look on his face.

"Bells, please wait until this evening, and I'll go over with you. I don't want you anywhere near him."

"I'll be fine, Jake. I promise I won't go in if his car is there, okay?" He nodded his head in agreement.

Mae handed me a plate and pointed to the stove.

There were eggs and the bacon is in the warming oven. She threw a piece of bread in the toaster for me while I dished up my plate.

"Do you have a paper? I wanted to look and see what apartments are available." Jake pulled the paper out of the recycling bin and handed it to me.

"There's really no hurry, Bells." Jake said quietly. I snorted at his remark.

"Sure there isn't. I don't think I want to walk in on that again," I said teasingly. Mae's cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. I felt better that I wasn't the only one who blushed on command. Jake let out a bark of laughter then ruffled my hair like a big brother would do to an annoying sister.

"You're just lucky I had clothes on." Mae smacked him on the back of the head, as I wrinkled up my nose in disgust.

"Ew, Jake! Don't gross me out like that. I'm eating."

We sat around the table and talked about nothing in particular while I browsed the rental adds. There where several that were within my price range and surprisingly were in downtown Manhattan, just a few blocks from my new job. I circled them and then folded the paper up.

"I'm going to stop by and put in an application at a couple of apartments, if that's okay."

"No problem Bella, I told you I didn't need the car. Take however long that you need." I thanked her for her generosity again and left at the same time Jake left for work. As we were going outside he pulled me into a bear hug.

"If you need anything Bells, call me and I'll be there. Those are the advantages of owning your own business." He winked at me and I smiled. I wondered yet again how I could have made the decision to let him go.

The drive over to my old apartment was filled with questions of what was to come. Where was my life heading and how was I going to cope without Edward. I let out a sigh of relief at finding Mike's parking space empty. _He's not home. _

As I got to the door of the apartment I reached inside the light fixture and pulled out a silver key. Praying that he hadn't changed the lock I slipped the key in and was thankful to find that it opened the door without any problems.

I quietly slipped in the door and looked around. Everything was the same except there was a slight odor coming from the kitchen. When I walked in I gasped at the mess that was everywhere. Not only was there dirty dishes piled up in the sink and on the counters but half of the dishes were broke and scattered on the floor. It looked like a tornado had hit in my kitchen. I carefully walked around the broken dishes and stepped into the living room.

The side table was tipped over and the lamp that was on it was broken in pieces next to it. The vertical mini blinds that were on the sliding glass door were bent and broken. Books were scattered in front of the bookshelf and all of the pictures of Mike and me were smashed to pieces.

I knew I didn't have time to worry about it. I needed to get my clothes and a few personal items and get out of there before Mike returned. I walked towards the bedroom and heard a muffled cry. Someone else was in the apartment with me. I stood frozen by the bedroom door scared that I may have walked into a bad situation. Then I heard the soft crying of a woman.

"I loved you. Why?" The sound was muffled with tears and I felt my heart drop at the sorrow and desperation I heard in her voice. It had to be Jessica.

I slowly opened the bedroom door and saw her curled up in the middle of my bed. She was naked from the waist down. Her brown curly hair was a mess as she sobbed uncontrollably into the pillows. _What happened to her? _My mind went over the different scenarios and none of them were good. I walked quietly towards the bed pulling a throw blanket off of the chair.

I fanned the blanket out and covered her up. She sat up quickly, surprised that anyone would be there. She had tears running down her face. The white of her left eye was bright red from her crying but what made me suck in a breath at the site of her was the large black and blue eye that was swollen shut. She had a large cut above it on her forehead and her lip was split wide open, blood trickling down her chin.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled before burying her head back in the pillow.

"I came to get my things. What happened to you Jessica?" The concern I had for her overrode the nastiness in her voice.

"What do you care?"

"Mike did this, didn't he?" She sobbed harder into the pillow and nodded her head.

"Jessica, did he…" How do I ask this question? Everything in me was screaming to turn around and get out of there before Mike came back, but I couldn't leave Jessica. "Jessica, did Mike…rape you?" I whispered.

Her sobs grew louder as she clutched at the blanket and pillows, not answering my question.

"Jessica. We need to get out of here now, before he comes back. Where did he go?"

She winced as she sat up and pulled the blanket closer around herself.

"I don't know. He…he…afterwards he just left." She just confirmed what I suspected. I flew into protective mode in a matter of seconds. I looked around and found her discarded clothes. I threw her jeans at her and noticed that her panties were ripped to shreds. I ran over to my dresser and pulled out a pair throwing them to her.

"Get dressed now. We need to get out of here." When she didn't move I walked over to her and grasped her arms, slightly shaking her out of her shock.

"Jessica, get dressed NOW." She nodded her head slowly and like a mechanical robot started to get dressed.

I pulled out the two large suitcases under the bed and ran to the closet grabbing clothes by the handfuls and throwing them haphazardly into the bags. When I cleared out the closet and dresser I walked into the bathroom and grabbed everything that would fit in a small duffel bag. I slammed the suitcase shut and snapped them together then I looked around the room making sure I didn't forget anything too important.

Jessica was sitting at the edge of the bed, her head bowed as silent tears ran down her face. At that moment, she wasn't the other woman. She was a broken girl that had been mistreated by someone she trusted. _Did I look like that when Edward found me?_ I shook off the thought of Edward, I did not have the luxury to wallow in my own self pity at this moment. I walked over to Jessica and held out my hand.

"Let's go, Jess." She slowly brought her eye up to meet mine.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

"I've been where you are right now. Well…not exactly where you are, but I know what it feels like to be abused by someone you trusted. Someone took me in and helped me. It's the least I can do to repay that kindness." She slowly took my hand as I helped her stand. She winced and let out a small cry of pain. I steadied her with one hand and handed her my duffel bag. When I knew that she was steady I let go of her and grabbed the suitcases.

I froze when I heard the click of the door and a loud curse from the other room. Jessica's eyes went wide and she looked over at me, panic clearly etched across her battered face. The door to the bedroom flew open and my worst nightmare had been realized. And looking from the terror on Jessica's face, _I wasn't the only one_.

"What the hell are you doing here?"


	21. A Defining Love

**Chapter 21**

**A Defining Love**

**BPOV**

The blood rushed out of my face as I stood and stared back into the hateful eyes of Mike. His hands were clenched at his side and he looked like he could murder me at any moment. His gaze raked up and down my body and I felt a small shiver run through me. Then his attention shifted to Jessica who had sat back down on the bed, her arms wrapped protectively around her legs as she whimpered into her knees.

"Why did you let her in MY home!" Mike screamed at her. She cowered back and shook her head violently back and forth.

"I…I d-didn't," she whisper between sobs. Mike advanced on her and she quickly scampered back to the headboard of the bed. I watched helplessly as he walked around the bed and grabbed Jessica by her hair, wrenching her up until she was on her knees and at eye level to him.

"You lying slut!" He raised his hand back and slapped her, connecting with the side of her face that was already bruised and swollen. The assault was enough to shake me out of my fear and get my feet moving. I ran up to Mike and grabbed his hand before he could strike her again. He shook Jessica with the hand that was tightly wrapped in her hair before throwing her down on the bed and turning towards me. Jessica curled up into a ball sobbing and clutching at her face that was now bleeding.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He pulled me off of his arm and sneered at me. I noticed that he had several gaps in his teeth where Edward had knocked them out before I tried to wrench my arms from his grasp, but he was two hundred pounds of solid muscle and wasn't going to budge.

"Let go of me, now Mike!" I screamed. "You can't man handle me, _not anymore_!"

His laugh was filled with a menacing threat. "I can do whatever I want, Bella. Who's here that's going to stop me?" He looked over at Jessica and then back at me. He stared hard into my eyes as he spoke to Jessica.

"You're not going to move, are you Jessica? You know what will happen if you disobey don't you?" I heard her whimper and then heard her agree to his threat.

"Good, because Bella needs to be taught a lesson. Just like you did earlier." He roughly grabbed my arms and dragged me into the living room. My heart raced from fear for what he had planned.

He threw me down on the floor and landed on top of me, knocking the wind out of me. He pinned my arms down with one hand over my head and wrestled with the buttons to my jeans with his other hand. I kicked and screamed, trying to free myself from his vice like grip. _I will not be a victim of this man again! _

"Please, Mike, don't do this! You can't do this." I pleaded with him.

"Shut up! You did this. You had me fired! You are to blame for all of this!" He yelled in my face, spraying me with spittle as he got the button of my jeans undone.

"You brought this on yourself, Isabella," he growled as he yanked my jeans down to my ankles.

"No Mike! I didn't do it. Please, you have to believe me!"

I heard a loud crash and glass pieces fell all around me. Then Mike's full weight was crushing me as he slumped over. I looked over his shoulder and saw Jessica standing over us, a broken wine bottle in her hand. I shoved Mike off of me and quickly stood up pulling my pants with me. Jessica was as still as a statue as she looked down on the unmoving form of Mike. I grabbed her arm and pulled her to the door, shoving her out quickly, and then I ran back in and grabbed my suitcases and duffel bag. When I returned to the living room I saw that Mike hadn't moved. _Did she kill him? _I walked quickly over and saw that he was still breathing then ran out the door with my things.

Jessica was standing outside of the building looking worn-down and defeated. I motioned for her to follow me and we climbed into Mae's car. I had never felt as much relief as I did when we were pulling away and I knew that it was over. Mike would never hurt me or Jessica again.

Jessica was quiet in the car ride to Jake's house. Occasionally I would hear a sniff or soft sob. I pulled into the driveway and honked the horn. Mae came rushing out.

"What happened?" She looked at Jessica and gasped. She ran around to the passenger's side of the car and pulled it open, looking down on Jessica.

"Who did this?"

"Mike," Jessica and I answered in unison. Mae helped Jessica out of her car and led her into the house while I grabbed my bags. When I came in the house Mae was on a frantic phone call to Jake. When she hung up, she informed me that he was on his way home.

Fifteen minutes later, Jake came in the door. Mae and I were sitting in the kitchen trying to convince Jessica to go to the hospital. Jake came flying in and launched a verbal attack.

"What the hell were you thinking? I told you to wait for me." My defenses were up at his assumption. I took a calming breath before I answered him.

"His car wasn't there. I went in and found Jessica. We were on our way out the door when he came home." Jake finally looked over at Jessica and inhaled quickly at the site of the battered woman sitting in his kitchen. His fists clenched and he turned around slamming his fist into a kitchen cabinet, letting out a roar of anger. We all jumped at the sudden outburst.

"I'm going to kill him." He swung around and pointed at Jessica.

"Did he ever do this to you!" he screamed. Jessica cowered in her chair and I reached out a hand to comfort her. Then I turned my glare onto Jake.

"Stop it! You're scaring her. She doesn't understand you're all hot air." I chided. He apologized to all of us and then looked at me again.

"Well? Did he?" I shook my head at him.

"No, not like this. There were times I thought he was close but no, he never hit me." Jessica sobbed into her hands quietly. "We need to take you to the hospital"

She grimaced and then shook her head for the hundredth time since we started this conversation. I sighed in exasperation. "Why Jessica? We need to make sure you're okay and…they need to do a rape kit." She looked up from her hands with determination in her eyes. I heard Jake and Mae gasp at the realization that Mike had done more than hit her.

"I love him. I can't betray him like this." _What? _I was beyond understanding her reasoning.

"Jessica, listen to me. Love is NOT hitting and NOT about controlling the other person. Love is something where both people want what's best for the other. Love is a deep feeling of tenderly caring for another person. Love is being protected and protecting the one that you love. Love is serving one another and not expecting anything in return. Love doesn't hurt except when you are away from that person." I had tears in my eyes as I tried to convince Jessica that she needed to get away from Mike, and I realized that it was _exactly _what I felt with Edward.

"Jessica, I don't think Mike can love anyone." I pleaded with her to understand what I was saying. She sat there, and contemplated about what I had said, before nodding her head.

"I'll go," she whispered.

We spent the rest of the day in the hospital with Jessica as she had to go through a series of tests. The police had showed up at the hospital and we both filled out a report. I felt like a pro at what information to give since just two days earlier I was doing the same thing for James' assault. _Just call me Danger Magnet! _

Jessica called her mother to come pick her up so we waited with her until she arrived. Before Jessica climbed into the car she turned to me and gave me a hug.

"I'm so sorry about everything, Bella. I should have broke things off with him when I found out about you. He told me so many lies about you. I should have never believed him after I met you. I think that in different circumstances, we could have been friends."

I pulled her back in for another hug. "I beg to differ, Jessica. I'm pretty sure we are friends. Call me if you need anything." Tears were brimming in my eyes. As she pulled away, she wiped the moisture from her cheeks and said goodbye. _In a way, it was almost like seeing myself and seeing how I had grown, and how I had recovered. _I smiled wistfully, it was a nice feeling.

Mae came up and hugged me while Jake hugged me from behind. "You are amazing, Bella. It always amazes me how much love you have in your heart." Jake whispered in my ear kissing me on the top of my head.

"You know when you were telling Jessica what love really was?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You were describing the love you have for Edward, and I'm sure he has for you." Tears started falling from my eyes. _I was surprised he had noticed the truth of my statement as well. I suppose I always knew it, I just needed Jake to confirm it._ I nodded at Jake and then climbed in the car, ready for this day to end. On our way home I reflected on what Jake had said.

The feelings I had for Edward were overwhelming. I knew that I loved him. I would always love only him. However, I never knew what his feelings were. At times he acted like he loved me, but why would he let me leave if he did? He was extremely protective, and he was always tender and caring. _It hurt so much to be away from him._ Did he want what was best for me? Something clicked in my mind at that question. He _did_ want was best for me. That's why he wanted to take care of me. Not because he wants to control me, but because he loves me.

_Could he really love me?_ I was scared to hope. Can I put myself in a situation of vulnerability again?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

My first week at Manhattan Trust was amazing. They threw me right into the fire and I had several possible mergers that I was researching. The long hours kept my mind off of Edward and the drama that had happened with Mike. One week passed by and then two and I was getting into a routine that was comfortable.

They arrested Mike and he made bail, then he went to Jessica's mother's house and harassed her until he got arrested again. This time he couldn't make bail so he is currently sitting in his jail cell until his hearing. It was a relief to know that I didn't have to worry about him finding me to try and finish what he had started at our apartment.

James was currently running from the law. The police had come to Jake's to inform me that James had skipped out on his bail and they thought he was currently in Switzerland. Switzerland was neutral territory, the likelihood of extradition were slim. They assured me that if he stepped foot back in the States they would arrest him. The assurance didn't do anything to help me feel safe, but I was determined not to let fear paralyze me.

Jessica called me frequently. I think she just needed a friend that understood the kind of hold that Mike could have on her. After much begging from her mother and myself she signed up for therapy to help her deal with what Mike had done to her. She always wanted to get together, but I felt bad that I was always working. I also wasn't sure if I wanted to get too close to her. I felt bad for her, but pity wasn't something I wanted to base a friendship on.

I spent what little free time I had looking for an apartment. There were quite a few in New Jersey, but I wanted to be closer to work. Manhattan was extremely expensive, but I found a small flat that would fit my needs three blocks from Manhattan Trust. For the first time since college, I felt free. Independent. Mae was sad to see me move out but Jake joked that he could finally run around the house in his underwear.

While Mike was locked away, I went back to our old apartment and packed up the remainder of my things and moved them into my new home. I had bought a bed and several pieces of furniture to help fill the space. Mae was kind enough to give me several things that she owned before Jake and she were married. When I went to protest she told me I was doing her a favor by taking them off of her hands so she didn't have to pay for the storage rental any longer.

It had been almost a month since I had left Edward. It's funny how my sense of time revolved around that one significant moment in my life. I was finally starting to prove my worth at work. I only had one more work day this week and I actually had a free weekend to myself. As I walked into the lobby of my apartment, standing by the elevators, was Alice and Jasper. I considered ducking behind a plant but she had already seen me.

"Bella! What are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled me into a hug. Jasper stood behind her, smiling kindly at me.

"Uh…I live here. What are you doing here?" She smirked at me. I forgot how much I liked her.

"We live here too, silly." She smiled and then linked her arm with mine, pulling me to the elevator.

"Are you busy tomorrow night for dinner?" she asked with a slight bounce in her step.

"Alice…um…who will be there?" She looked into my eyes and I could see the sadness lying beneath the surface.

"Bella, he went back to Seattle." My heart fluttered in my chest just thinking about him.

I spent all of my time pushing him out of my mind just so I could get through the day. When I was alone in my apartment in the evenings was a different story. Could I spend the evening with Alice and not feel like my heart was being ripped out all over again? I didn't care, Alice was a friend and I had avoided all contact with her over the last month. I wanted to know what was going on in her life and I couldn't deny that I wanted to hear about Edward.

"So, will you come over for dinner?" I smiled the first real smile in over a month.

"I'd love to." She squealed and in the small space of the elevator it echoed back piercing through mine and Jaspers ears. He flinched slightly before rubbing at his ear. Smiled down at the love of his life he pulled her up against his chest, trying to calm her down. A small pang of jealousy at the love that they shared gnawed at me. My heart screamed for Edward.

"Great! We'll see you tomorrow at seven. Do you mind if I invite Rose and Emmett over?"

"Of course not. I've missed everyone so much." I didn't need to elaborate that that statement included Edward, I had a feeling that Alice already knew.

When we reached my floor, Alice gave me her apartment number and another quick hug.

"I'm so excited to sit down with you and find out what you've been up to over the last month." I smiled and gave a small wave as the elevator doors closed.

As I drew near my apartment door I heard the phone ringing. I quickly dug my keys out of my purse and ran inside grabbing the phone just before the answering machine picked up.

"Hello?"

"Bells! It's Jake. How are you doing?" I frowned at the worry in his voice.

"I'm great Jake, what's up?"

"Do I have to have a reason to call my best friend?"

"No, but you usually do."

"Sheesh Bella, I haven't talked to you for almost a week. I was just worried about you."

"I'm a big girl, Jake. I can take care of myself. I have my independence now. That's what I was striving for. I don't need anyone to take care of me."

"Be wary of being too independent." I could tell that the conversation had suddenly switched back to Edward like all of the other times. "Relationships aren't about doing everything for yourself. It's about working together for the common good of the love you have for one another. Everyone needs someone to lean on sometimes Bells, and it's okay… it's normal." He sighed long and hard on the line.

"Just don't let your independence stand in the way of being with the one that you love." His words struck a chord with me and the tears fell silently down my cheek.

"Mae and I love you, Bella. We only want what's best for you." I nodded and then remembered that he couldn't see me.

"I know Jake." My voice cracked from the emotions that were built up. "I love you guys, too. Thanks for putting up with my stupidity."

"Anytime Bells, anytime."

I was thankful for the friendship I had with Jake and Mae. Both of them kept me grounded and on occasion, reminded me of the fool I was being. I picked up the cell phone that I never returned to Edward and scrolled down to his name. I stared at it for a few minutes before flipping the phone closed and throwing it on the bed. _He probably hates me_. I couldn't live through hearing his voice turn cold towards me.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I woke up earlier than usual and decided to grab a coffee at Starbucks on my way to work. I walked past a media stand and stopped dead in my tracks. There, sitting on the shelf was a picture of Edward and me on the front page of the Post. I dug in my purse for some change and then snagged it off of the rack.

He looked more handsome than I remembered him. He was smiling down at me as he twirled me on the dance floor from the awards banquet. Then I read the headline. ANOTHER FALLEN VICTIM OF PLAYBOY CULLEN. I groaned out loud and thought about just throwing it in the trash and not subjecting myself to the scrutiny but then I knew I couldn't, this was the only picture I had of him. I ran into Starbucks and grabbed a latte then found a seat by myself so I could read the article. I opened it up to the sixth page and read.

_Well it seems that Isabella Swan was just the flavor of the month for our illustrious Playboy Cullen. Sources have established that Isabella and Edward broke up almost a month ago before he flew back to Seattle to return to his womanizing ways._

Actually it was 36 days.

_He has been seen with several different women in Seattle so it is confirmed that his attention span rivals a toddler. Shame on you, Edward Cullen._

I knew not to believe anything that was written, but I couldn't help but wonder if he had already found someone else. I threw the paper in the garbage and walked quickly to work, trying to push out all thoughts of Edward.

I was early when I arrived at my office. Only a few personal assistants floated around trying to get things prepared for our staff meeting in an hour. Riley's secretary walked over to my desk and threw down the POST. _I couldn't get away from Edward. _

"I thought you might want to see this." She sneered at me. I was taken aback by her obvious hostility. She had always been slightly aloof towards me but the blatant resentment was a first.

"I've seen it, thank you." I was polite, but detached.

"A lot of damn good it did."

"Excuse me? I don't understand what your problem is."

"You are my problem. I was up for your job, but then Mr. Stevens saw your picture with Mr. Cullen and he thought it would be great to have an insider into Pacific Northwest Trust." She scoffed. "But then you were never really that close to him were you?"

"Get out of my office," I growled. She took a hesitant step back, but continued her rant.

"I wondered why you were applying here. Maybe you were trying to get information for PNT so you could hold on to Mr. Cullen."

"Get. Out. Of. My. Office. Now!" I hissed each word individually. She quickly left sensing that my rage was on the brink of exploding.

I collapsed into my chair and buried my face in my hands._ I was only hired to get information about PNT. _Edward was right all along, Manhattan Trust was the Gray Knight. Riley was a professional at back door deals. Now what am I going to do? Did I prove my worth beyond what they thought I could get from PNT? Do I really want to work for a company that was going to try to use me illegally to find out information about Edward's company? No, I could never ethically work for a company like this. But, I just moved into my own place, how am I going to afford to stay if I don't have a job?

All of these questions were swirling around my mind when my assistant popped her head in my office.

"Staff meeting in ten minutes." She sang as she darted back out the door.

I couldn't make a decision now, but I needed to get out of here. I was in no condition to fake my way through a meeting. I called my assistant and told her that I was leaving because I didn't feel well and asked her to let Riley know. Then I grabbed my things and ran out the door before anyone could stop me.

My mind went back to the argument that Edward and I had over Manhattan Trust. He was only trying to protect me. Everything that he said was the truth. _What have I done? What have I lost?_


	22. Misery Loves Company

**Chapter 22**

**Misery Loves Company**

**EPOV**

Three weeks. I should be in the Guinness Book of World Records for living without a heart for three weeks. I had finally hit the angry stage of my grief. The first week I spent practically locked up in that prison of a hotel room with nothing but memories of _her_. My family couldn't drag me out. Alice finally had a family meeting in the middle of my suite and spoke about how they were going to "Make Edward snap out of his depression". The funny thing was that they talked as if I wasn't even in the room. Looking back, I guess I really wasn't. My mind had only been on _her_.

The next week I flew back to Seattle and spent every waking moment in my office pulling together the papers to buy out my dear old partner so he could get the hell out of my life and take my ex with him. Many mornings my assistant would come in and find me asleep at my desk with the same clothes on from the previous day. She'd cluck her tongue and forcefully push me out of the office, telling me not to come back until I had a shower and had slept in a real bed.

Denial.

That's the only word to describe what I was going through that week. Every time _her _name or face would flash across my mind I would bury it and try to pretend that she didn't exist. It didn't work. She would haunt my dreams at night, teasing me with all of the promises of true love and then she would disappear, leaving me with this ache that was driving me insane.

Now I'm just plain pissed off. Not necessarily at her, even though some of it was directed toward her, but more at what my life had become. _Who the hell am I anymore? _I used to think I had myself together. That I new what I wanted and worked hard for it, now I see myself for who I really am, a scared boy that blew the best thing in his life because of his insecurities.

I glanced down at my watch, ten minutes until Marcus, my idiot partner gets here. I got up from my desk and gathered all of the paperwork from my lawyer and ran over what I was going to say to Marcus in my mind one last time. My assistant knocked on my door and then poked her head inside.

"Marcus is here, are you ready for him?" I nodded and motioned for her to send him in. I walked around and sat in my chair behind the huge mahogany desk, hoping to show a bit of intimidation and gaining the upper hand in this conversation.

Marcus strolled in and I had to fight down the swell of irritation I felt at his smug smile. He was an attractive man, but quite a bit older than myself, he exuded an heir of authority and haughty self importance. He was arrogant and I planned on knocking him down a peg or two.

"Hello, Edward." He said as he reached out to shake my hand. I stared at it from across my desk and motioned for him to sit without returning the formality. He glared at me for a moment and then sat down.

"So, Edward. We haven't received your RSVP to the wedding." _You've got to be kidding me? He did not just bring up my ex wife_. He was really trying to get at me.

"Well since it's tomorrow I thought that you would have figured out that I would not be attending the joyous occasion. I'll be celebrating on my own at not having to write that monthly alimony check again." I said flippantly before I turned my attention to the real reason I called this meeting. "I didn't call you into my office to talk about your adulterous affair with my ex wife."

He sputtered and his face started to turn a lovely shade of pink. _Oh, I was going to enjoy this._ I threw the paperwork in front of him. He picked it up and glanced over the documents, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"You want to buy me out?" He quickly flipped to the back page that held the purchase price I was offering. "You've got to be kidding. That's not even half of what my share is worth!" He was starting to get belligerent. _I knew him so well. _Once, he reached this point I had him exactly where I wanted him.

"Tanya will also resign her duties in the Children's Advocacy Program." He looked dumbly at me and then gave me an evil smile.

"She'll never do it."

"She will." I opened my desk drawer and pulled out another file, throwing it in front of him. He looked skeptically at me before reaching for it. "You will convince her."

Marcus opened up the file and stared and the candid photos within. He shook his head in disbelief and then flipped the file closed. His hands raked through his hair and he looked pretty nervous. I was enjoying this much more than I should.

"How did you get these?"

"A private investigator. I think that the media would love to get their hands on these." I said with a small tap to the folder. I reached into the drawer and pulled out another folder and tossed it at him. He warily opened it and then snapped it closed again.

"Or maybe these. I don't think your fiancée would like those very much though, especially after she marries you. Don't worry, I won't ruin your extravagant wedding." I smirked at the look on his face.

"You haven't given me any choice, have you?" I tapped my lip thoughtfully.

"No, I guess I haven't." I pushed the paperwork back at him. "I expect those returned to me by tomorrow at noon. Now please get out of my office."

When he was gone I picked up the first folder and flipped it open. There were pictures of Marcus and Victoria entering a known swingers club and then very graphic pictures of what they were doing in said club. However, the best picture and the one that surprised and shocked me the most was my lovely ex wife sucking blow up her nose off of the stomach of a young naked man." _Very creative_.

The second folder had my soon to be ex partner in a very awkward position with his assistant. Even though Marcus and Tanya didn't seem to mind sharing themselves with complete strangers at a swingers bar, I had a feeling that Tanya wouldn't be thrilled that Marcus was hooking up with someone he had more of an emotional connection to. I smiled to myself and then tucked the files back into my desk, locking it up tight.

Tanya will never want those pictures to be released to the public and what's a little blackmail to get her completely out of my life. She didn't deserve to be reaping the praise of being in charge of one of the most well know charity organizations in the Northwest. What kind of example was her behavior setting? I would weather the storm of bad press to get her out of my life and out of my business if I had to. Marcus…well Marcus was just a fool, I can't really blame him for falling for her charms, I did too. I was glad to be rid of them both.

My assistant came in around six o'clock and ordered me to leave. She's such a pushy little thing, you'd think that she was Alice. I packed up and ran downstairs and climbed into my baby. The Vanquish seemed to be the only thing that gave me any form of happiness lately.

I hit the 520 east and found myself stuck in traffic. I started thinking about Bella like I always did when I was in my car, maybe because I didn't have anything but the monotony of driving to occupy my over active imagination. My last daydream was about her living in Seattle with me, living in my home, while she cared for our children. They didn't start out like this. The first ones I had were of our time in New York and then they moved on to the passion filled nights that we shared, but over the last couple of weeks, since I've been home, they changed. Bella in a long white dress walking down the isle towards me, our honeymoon, the birth of our children and then the final ones of our perfectly happy family. I clenched the steering wheel hard, the anger returning full force. _Why in the hell did she have to leave?_

I finally made it over the lake and into Medina. Tanya had picked out this house, it was extravagant but not even close to the ostentatious home of our neighbor, Mr. Bill Gates. It wasn't until after we put an offer in that I found out he lived next door. Tanya had methodically thought out even where the most advantageous place was to live. I shook my head trying to understand what I ever saw in that woman. After Bella, no one will ever live up to the lofty standards I had set.

I pulled into the circular driveway and immediately saw the red convertible beamer that I had bought Tanya with our divorce. I sighed, not wanting to deal with her at the moment. I pushed open the door expecting to find her in the sitting room. She wasn't there.

"Tanya?" I called into the empty bottom floor. No answer. I didn't feel like playing hide-n-seek at the moment. I stomped over to the stairs and quickly made my way to the second floor.

"Tanya? Where are you?" My patience was running thin. Still I got no answer. She better not be in my room. I ran up the last flight of stairs to the master bedroom that took up the whole top floor. When I opened the door I knew immediately what she had planned.

The scent of roses assaulted my nostrils as I walked through the sitting area and into the actual room that held my bed. Rose petals were scattered all throughout the room. _Figures she would try to romance me the way that she wanted to be romanced. She never figured out that I didn't care for all the fluff. _There she sat in the middle of my bed, her strawberry blonde hair was down, cascading over her bare milky white shoulders. The satin sheets that were not on the bed when I left this morning were now wrapped around her naked form. She had an extremely wicked smile on her face.

She was beautiful. I couldn't deny her that.

"Edward, you're finally home." She pouted.

"What are you doing Tanya?" I asked as I pulled my eyes away from her and slid off my tie, throwing it over the chair.

"I've made a big mistake, Eddie." I cringed at her nickname. "I want you back. Marcus could never satisfy me the way you do." Well here is a small turn of events. The thought of reclaiming what was originally mine, if only to get back at Marcus was appealing. I raked my fingers through my hair. Even though my body reacted to the beautiful woman in my bed my mind and heart would never allow me to act on it. Even if Bella would never be mine

"Get dressed Tanya, you're embarrassing yourself." I turned and walked out of my room. As I walked back downstairs I could hear her cursing and throwing things in my room. I didn't care. Let her trash the place, it wasn't home. Home was a hotel suite where I woke up in the arms of a beautiful brunette with smoldering brown eyes. _Home is wherever Bella is_.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next day I put my house up for sale. When I had my epiphany last night I decided it was time to move closer to family, _and closer to Bella_. Even if she didn't want me anymore I could still have the memories of her that the city held.

Marcus dropped off the signed papers that I had given him the day before with my assistant. Tanya resigned the next day. I was finally starting to clean up the loose ends in my life.

I spent the next couple of weeks turning all PNT business over to my Chief Operating Officer. I wanted to focus more on the Children's Advocacy Program so I called Emmett and had him start the ball rolling on setting up a program in New York. He was slightly surprised at my decision to move, but seemed to welcome the idea. Then he dropped the bomb.

"We're having dinner with Bella tonight." It took me a moment to process what Emmett said.

"Really? How is she?" I asked trying not to sound too eager for information.

"She lives in Alice's apartment building. I haven't seen her but Alice says she's doing really well." I felt the emotions stirring in my chest and knew that I needed to get off of the phone as soon as possible.

"That's great, tell her I said hello." My voice cracked slightly. "I gotta go Em. I have to meet my real estate agent. I'll call you when I make flight arrangements." I hung up before he could say anything more, then leaned back in my chair trying to compose the emotions that surged through me at the thought of her being with my family.

The feelings I was having were bittersweet. A part of me wanted to hear every tiny detail about what she was doing, if she had changed, or if she had found someone else. Then again it hurt like hell. Every whisper of her name or conversation that referred to her was a stab directly to my heart. Maybe she'll let me back into her life. Even if it was just as friends, but I knew deep down that I could never be satisfied with just being friends. The best thing for me to do was to forget this asinine idea to move across country and stay as far away from her as possible, but I knew that never was going to happen. I was glutton for a punishment.

**BPOV**

I nervously made my way to Alice's apartment. A lot had happened in the span of a month, so much so that I was nervous about what to share and what to keep to myself. Alice opened the door with a wide smile and hug, then motioned for me to come inside.

"Everybody's back here." She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the kitchen. "Bella's here!" she sang as we entered the massive kitchen.

Emmett walked over with his huge dimpled smile and gave me a hug. "We missed you pip squeak." He said as he tweaked my nose. Rose was right beside him and smiled widely at me after her big bear of a husband released me.

"It's good to see you again, Bella." She leaned over and gave me an air kiss and small squeeze of my shoulders. Jasper was stirring something in a pot on the stove and gave me a small wave and hello.

Alice poured me a glass of wine and handed it to me. "Spill!" she demanded. I was a bit taken back at her command and wasn't exactly sure what she wanted me to 'spill' about. Didn't Edward explain what had happened? I arched my brow in a questioning glance.

"What have you been doing for the last month?" A slight flood of relief overcame me that she didn't want details on why Edward and I split. I shrugged my shoulders and took a sip of my wine.

"Nothing much, really. I've been working a lot and I moved into my apartment about two weeks ago." I shrugged my shoulders.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Okay, so you work a lot and you have an apartment. What about the social aspect of your life?" She was such a nosey little pixie, but I loved her. I shook my head at her question.

"Like I said, I'm working a lot. I usually just come home from work and pass out, then I'm back up at the crack of dawn, repeating the process. This is the first weekend I've had off since I started."

"Do you like your job?" Alice always seemed to know exactly what questions to ask to get the whole story out of me.

"I did at first but…now I'm not so sure." _I can't believe I'm going to tell them. _I'm sure this will get back to Edward. I took a deep breath and continued.

"I found out today that I was only hired because Mr. Stevens saw the photo of Edward and I in the Post. He thought it would be beneficial to have his competitions girlfriend employed with his company." Tears started to form in my eyes and a swallowed them back, but not before they were noticed by Emmett.

Emmett smacked his hand on the counter, the loud noise ringing out through the kitchen. "That piece of—"

"Emmett, that doesn't help." Alice chided. Emmett looked at me and commanded my attention by his stance. I could see now what Edward was talking about when he said he was a grizzly bear in the boardroom.

"You listen to me." He said pointing directly at me. "Riley Stevens is a pain in the ass that doesn't have an ethical bone in his body. He almost put us in bankruptcy with his underhanded dealings. It doesn't surprise me that he pulled a stunt like this, I'm sorry you had to be subjected to this idiot, but now I have one question for you…are you ready to come and work for me now?"

I was stunned at the offer. I bit my lip, thinking about how much I would love to work for PNT. The problem was Edward. Would the offer still stand and if it did would I be treated like everyone else? Would I have to deal with catty employees that would think I slept my way into my position? Do I even care about that anymore? My hesitation sent Emmett into a calculated argument, which I'm sure, was a tactic he used to close many deals.

"Bella, you are completely qualified for the job. You've had experience at two different firms and I like you." His genuine smile brought one to my lips.

"What about Edward?" I grimaced slightly at his name coming from my mouth.

"Edward is, if anything practical. He saw your potential the night _you_ closed the deal with Mr. Kingsley, he couldn't stop raving about how brilliant you were. Don't worry I'll talk to Edward." I nodded slowly.

"Can I think about it?" I asked, but Emmett gave me a crooked smile.

"Nope! If you have to think about it you're not as smart as I thought you were." Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head, but Emmett just chuckled.

"Just kidding. Gosh Rose, stop being so brutal. At least not until we get home," he said wiggling his eyebrows up and down. There was a simultaneous groan out of Alice, Jasper and myself.

We had a pleasant dinner and the conversation seemed to stay as far away from Edward as possible. It was nice to feel like a part of their family. I missed Alice's friendship and when I was leaving she made me promise not to be a stranger.

I walked back to my apartment thinking about all of the decisions I needed to make. Do I quit and go work for PNT, stick out working for a company that I can't in good conscious be happy with or go find another job?

The obvious answer is to go to work for PNT. It has always been the ideal company to work for, but would Edward agree? Could I handle being around him when he decided to come to New York? The more this decision weighed on me the stupider I felt. This separation was my fault. After a month without him I have come to realize that I would rather have had him for the brief times he came to New York then not at all.


	23. Phone Order Date

**Chapter 23**

**Phone Order Date**

**EPOV**

I had played phone tag with Emmett all week. I was dying to find out how his dinner went with Bella, but I never mentioned it in any of my messages for fear that he would see right through my inquiry. His messages seemed a bit cryptic as well, telling me that he had some important business to discuss with me, but never letting on to what he was referring too.

I left another message on his phone letting him know that I had arrived in New York in time for the fundraiser later this evening. I called the agency and arranged a date for the evening, and then put it out of my mind. The last thing I wanted to think about was being in New York and having any other woman on my arm except the one that I longed for.

I dressed in the formal suite that Alice had sent up to my room and waited for my date to arrive. The knock on the door pulled me out of my unenthusiastic daze. I reluctantly walked over to the door and pulled it open. A pretty, petite brunette smiled up at me.

"Mr. Cullen?" She asked as she held out her hand.

"Please, it's Edward." I said as I took her hand in greeting, inviting her in.

"I'm Angela." She said and then smiled shyly at me. She seemed like a nice girl but she wasn't Bella. I grabbed my phone and wallet and directed her downstairs to the awaiting car. There was a comfortable silence on the way to the event, I just didn't have any desire to get to know her and she seemed to be okay with that. Finally she spoke up.

"So what kind of event are we going to? They only gave me your name, where to meet you and to wear a cocktail dress."

"It's a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network. My company has hosted a casino table and donated an absurd amount of money to make this event happen. It's their biggest fundraiser besides the telethon." She smiled excitedly.

"So it's a casino theme?"

I nodded. "Yes, when we arrive I'll get you some chips so you can lose all of my money to them." I chuckled at her shocked look. "It's all for charity, so don't worry." I smiled reassuringly at her.

We arrived at the event and I helped her out of the car, wrapping her arm through mine. I felt like I should show some interest in her so I tried to start up a conversation.

"So what do you do Angela?"

"I'm a student. I'm in my second year in medical school." Impressive, that must mean she has a brain. "This helps pay for my expenses and I don't have to stress out with a full time job." I nodded at her answer. She didn't strike me as one of _those_ girls that slept with their clients.

"So, you like doing…this?" She shrugged lightly.

"It's fine when the men that I accompany keep their hands to themselves." I pegged her perfectly.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me." I winked at her and she laughed out loud.

"Sure…I think my fiancé' is going to have a coronary when I tell him I went out with_'__the_ _Playboy Cullen__'"_She smirked and it was my turn to laugh.

"Don't read everything you read in the Post, my dear."

"Edward?" I turned to see my parents walking towards us, Alice and Jasper close on their heels. Esme embraced me and kissed my cheek lightly before turning towards Angela.

"Angela, this is my mother Esme." She took my mother's hand and shook it firmly. My mother gave me a look that said I was going to explain who she was and I rolled my eyes. I made the rest of the introductions and then excused myself to get us a drink and some chips for Angela. Really I just wanted to escape from the questioning stares I was getting from my mother and Alice. I found a teller and cashed out enough chips to keep Angela entertained for the rest of the evening and had the teller send them over to her. Then I walked to the bar.

While I was waiting at the bar for our drinks Alice came up and sat on the bar stool next to me.

"Who's Angela?" She asked, not even trying to cover up her curiosity.

"Phone order date." I replied offhandedly. She smacked me in the arm.

"You brought an escort?" She hissed under her breath. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yeah, so?" Alice glared at me before she snapped at me.

"You couldn't come alone?" I looked at her like she was crazy.

"Yes, I could have but what's the big deal? I'm not sleeping with her. She's a nice girl, so be nice." I said giving her my authoritative glare. She glared right back and I felt uneasy at the intensity behind her eyes. I looked away when the bartender brought our drinks.

"Did I tell you that we had dinner with Bella last week?" My head snapped back to my sister and she had a small smirk playing at her lips. Her finger came up and she jabbed me in the chest.

"You love her. Don't you dare deny it. I saw it in your eyes just now." I sighed at her words and then turned back to the bar.

"It doesn't matter, Alice, she left me."

"You need to talk to Emmett." She said and then she was gone. I glanced around the room looking for Emmett. I saw him standing by a table, Rosalie on his arm. As I walked closer he grabbed the dice and held them up to Rose's lips for her to blow on them before he threw them down the table.

"Em, can I talk to you?" Emmett turned around and grasped my hand in a vice like grip and pulled me in for a man hug.

"Hey, little brother. Glad you made it on time." I smiled and nodded at Rose and then looked back at my brother.

"We need to talk. Alice is being extremely snotty and told me I needed to come and talk to you." I folded my arms across my chest waiting to hear whatever he had to say about Bella.

Rose excused herself and Emmett led me over to a small table and chairs, motioning for me to sit down.

"I've hired Bella."

"What?" I asked with my mouth hanging open.

"She found out the hard way that Manhattan Trust wasn't who she thought they were." I blinked a few times trying to come to grips what he was saying.

"I offered her a job and a few days ago she accepted."

"Does she know that I've moved back? That I'm going to be working with her?" Emmett shook his head.

"No, she doesn't."

"What happened with her other job?"

"They hired her thinking that she would be a great inside source to PNT." I pinched the bridge of my nose and then raked my fingers through my hair in agitation. I can't imagine what that did to her self esteem.

"How did she take it?" Emmett smiled.

"Like a pro. She was pissed at first but once the shock of it all wore off she came to her senses. She was more worried that you wouldn't want her working for the company."

"That's ridiculous. I offered her a job before she left." I looked up and saw Emmett's goofy grin. He clapped his hands together and stood up.

"Great! Glad we're on the same page. Now I'm going to go lose me some money!" He said as he headed towards Rose sitting at a roulette table leaving me with a lot to think about. I needed to work out how this was going to work.

"Edward?" I groaned inwardly, not wanting to have this discussion now but knowing that there was no way around it.

I put on my most innocent face before answering her. "Hi, Mom. What's up?" She sat down in the chair that Emmett just vacated.

"What are you doing?" I looked at her slightly confused with her question.

"Um…having a drink?"

"That's not what I meant. What are you doing with an escort?" _Alice_. I growled in my head, she was always out to stir up trouble.

"I just needed a date. She's a nice girl, nothing else is going to happen." She quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Do you honestly believe I don't know about you…er…history?" I was mortified that I was having this conversation with my mother. _I__'__m going to kill Alice._

"Mom, honestly, she's just a date. She's engaged and earning her way through medical school. I promise, there's nothing else going on." I felt like a child being chastised for getting mud on the carpet.

"What about Bella?" she whispered. "Did it cross your mind that it might hurt her to see you with someone?" _Bella?_ _She__'__s not even here. What is she talking about?_

"I think about her every second of every day. Every decision that I make revolves around what she would think."

"Except this time." She cut in. "Don't give up on her Edward." _Is that what she thought? _That I could just forget about Bella?

"She's the one that left." I whispered looking down at my glass. With a wisdom that only a mother could have, she patted my shoulder softly.

"I know Edward, but sometimes the best things in life are worth fighting for."

I gulped my insecurities down as I downed the tasteless cocktail in my hand. I realized that my mother was right. Then I came to that realization that I shouldn't sit around wallowing, I should do something. For the rest of the evening, with Angela perched on my arm, I smiled, a real one, for the first time in a month.

Angela was pleasant, sociable enough to make conversations with, but shy enough not to pester me. I tried to maintain a slight grin, and even though it was genuine, it wasn't nearly as big as it would've been without Bella by my side. _But that would change__…_

**BPOV**

Emmett was a lot more demanding a boss than I thought he would be. He insisted that I attend the fundraiser this evening, even though I begged him to let me sit this one out. It just wouldn't be the same attending an event without Edward. As I was getting ready for the fundraiser my thoughts drifted to the dinner at Alice's home.

After Emmett had offered me the position at PNT I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I had gone back to my apartment after leaving Alice's and stayed up most of the weekend debating the pros and cons of working for Emmett. If it was just Emmett I would have taken the job in a heartbeat, but my concern wasn't over him it was over Edward.

The final straw to push me into my decision happened Monday morning when Riley called me into his office. I had agonized over what to do and went to his office with my decision leaning towards going to work for Emmett, but not really sure how to deal with my current job.

"Bella, please come in and have a seat." He motioned for the chair directly in front of his desk. When I was situated he launched in to his next assignment for me.

"I understand that you have no more connections tying you to Edward Cullen." My heart started beating faster at the mention of Edward's name. I closed my eyes briefly wondering where he was going with this line of questioning then I shook my head, confirming his statement.

"Excellent." He leaned over his desk as if he was telling me a secret. "I need information that only you can provide. If this goes well I see you easily as the newest Vice President of Manhattan Trust." He smirked at me as my eyes widened at his statement.

My first thought was to tell him to shove his offer where the sun didn't shine, but then I thought if I do leave it's probably best to find out what his plan was first.

"What kind of information do you need, Riley?" I asked trying to sound as interested in his proposition as possible.

"The kind that can bring down an Empire." The look in his eye was slightly wild as his excitement grew.

"I'm sorry, Riley; I don't think I have any information pertaining to the Cullen's that would qualify as Empire crushing." The hatred that I had for this man was bubbling just under the surface and it took everything that I had to control it.

"You see, Bella, it really doesn't matter if you have information or not. I just need you to confirm the story that will come out about the underhanded way he snatched Kingsley Corp out from under our noses. There will be a massive investigation that will tie up his assets and give us the advantage on several mergers we are competing for. It's just the push we need to get ahead.

I stood up abruptly, knocking the chair over in my haste. Riley looked surprised at my sudden change in demeanor.

"I think not, Mr. Stevens." I said with as much authority that I could muster. "You see, I was the one that closed the deal with Mr. Kingsley. I was the one that convinced him to go with Pacific Northwest Trust. I will not implicate myself in any dirt you've decide to make up."

I watched with a satisfied smirk as the color drained from his face and he began to sputter.

"Y-you closed the deal?" He looked at me unbelievingly.

"I sure did," I said as I turned to walk for the door. "Before I leave you should know that I will be handing in my resignation because I was offered a more lucrative opportunity with PNT. I'm sure they would love to hear about the plans you have concocted." With that I swept out of his office to mine. I gathered my things and hurried out of the building. It felt good to be in control of your own life.

As soon as I arrived back in my apartment I called Emmett and gave him my decision. To say that he was ecstatic would have been an understatement. He about ruptured my eardrums with his booming laugh. I filled him in on what Riley had planned and after he calmed down from his tirade he told me to take the rest of the week off. However, he expected me to attend the fundraiser on Saturday. There was no arguing with him when he made a decision, and I figured it wasn't the best idea to argue with my new boss anyway, even if it was just Emmett.

I arrived at the event an hour after it started, not wanting to socialize I figured it would be okay to be fashionably late and then leave early. As long as I made my appearance it would placate Emmett.

The ballroom was transformed into a lavish casino. Slot machines were situated on both sides as you walked into the room, girls in barely there outfits were walking around serving drinks. In the far right hand corner a small bar and lounge was set up with a gentleman playing the piano. A twinge of sadness coursed through me as I remembered the evening of the anniversary party where I had first learned that Edward was a talented musician. I was brought out of my melancholy mood when I heard the tinkling voice of Alice.

"Bella! You're here." She danced over to me and gave my arm a quick squeeze. Jasper was right on her heals.

"Hello, Alice, Jasper." I nodded my head in greeting.

"Emmett told us that you accepted his job offer, but we weren't expecting to see you until next week," she said bouncing slightly in her shoes.

"Yeah. He was pretty excited." I laughed and looked over Jasper's shoulder trying to find Emmett. Alice quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the lounge. We sat down and ordered a couple of drinks while Alice chattered on and on about shopping and getting together again.

"Alice, I really need to find Emmett and let him know that I'm here." I started to stand up, but she grabbed my wrist.

"No!" She panicked before composing herself and pulling on my arm. "I mean sit, Jasper will go tell Emmett you're here." She was acting very strange and I worried that she was hiding something from me.

"It's okay, Alice. I kind of want to take a look around." I smiled trying to pull my hand out of her vice like grip. She let out a long sigh.

"Bella, sit down. I need to talk to you about something important." My brows furrowed with confusion at her change in behavior, but I sat down wanting to know what had caused it.

"Edward's here." My breath hitched and I quickly looked around the casino. I didn't see him so I looked back at her.

"Here? Edward is here, at this party?" A slight panic filled my voice as I tried to grasp what she was saying. She slowly nodded her head.

"Yes, I didn't know you were coming. I'm so sorry." _No you didn__'__t know__…__but Emmett sure as hell did. _I growled internally before the full force of her statement hit me. _Edward is here. Right now._ My excitement at seeing him died quickly when I thought about the reception I would probably get. My emotions cannot handle the ups and downs like this. _Get it together Isabella. _ I chided myself.

"It's all righ,t Alice. It was bound to happen since I'll be working for his company." I smiled reassuringly at her even though on the inside I was fighting the urge to flee.

"Bella, that's not all." Her voice trailed off quietly and I saw the hurt in her eyes. I stared at her demanding with my eyes for her to finish. "He has a date." I couldn't contain the unhappiness and regret that I was feeling at that moment. I laid my forehead on my arms that were propped on the table and fought the tears that threatened to spill over. Alice's warm hand rubbed my shoulder softly as we both sat wordlessly through my grief. After a few minutes I raised my head high and stuffed all the emotions I had in a dark place to revisit later.

"I'm okay. Come on. I refuse to sit in the corner and sulk like a child." I jumped up and slammed down my drink before heading towards the teller to get the chips that Emmett had waiting for me. Alice was hot on my tail as I headed for the nearest Blackjack table. I plopped down on the stool and proceeded to bury myself in the game.

After losing thoroughly I decided that Blackjack wasn't my game. I tipped the dealer and got up looking for Emmett and Rosalie. I found them sitting at the roulette table and made my way over to them. Rosalie looked up at me with shock in her eyes. _I guess Emmett didn__'__t tell her either that I was coming._ She nudged Emmett in the ribs and he quickly turned around to face me.

"Bella!" he boomed as I approached.

"Emmett." I nodded stiffly at him then took Rose's hand in mine. "Good to see you again Rose." She smiled and kissed me on the cheek before turning to her husband, glaring at him. I laughed lightly at her protectiveness of me.

"It's alright, Rose. I know he's here and I know who planned this," I said as I poked Emmett in the ribs.

"Hey! No poking the boss," he said playfully.

"We aren't at work so you're not my boss right now."

"What? I own you," he said with a playful wink.

"You wish," I said, rolling my eyes. Rose kept glancing over at the bar area and I followed her line of site until I saw his unruly bronze hair.

My body tensed as I caught sight of Edward sitting with a small brunette at a table deep in conversation. My dreams didn't compare to the real thing. He was even more handsome than I remembered. He sat back and ran his hands through his hair before answering whatever she had asked him. He was smiling and talking with her like he used to do with me. _He looks happy_.

My heart twisted in my chest. If he was happy then I would be happy for him, too. Maybe if I kept telling myself this it would be true. I felt the tears start to well up in my eyes. Rosalie looked at me with concern in her eyes. I shook off the feelings that were threatening to take over and smiled.

"So how much money have you lost already?" I asked Emmett.

"Not enough," he said as he put a huge pile of chips on the number nineteen. I shook my head slowly as he lost the pile when the roulette wheel stopped on twenty-six.

"Have you played before?" Emmett asked me over his shoulder.

"No, I don't think it's my kind of game, neither is Blackjack, apparently." I laughed softly.

"Well, go try Texas Hold em', I think you'll like that game." He pointed to a table close to the dance floor. I told them I would see them later and headed for the table, occasionally glancing over at where Edward was seated.

_Only a little while longer and I can leave without upsetting Emmett and it__'__ll show him that I can handle being around Edward. _ I stood facing away from Edward and his date, not wanting to be tempted to watch the happy couple as I tried to figure out the game before me. Once I felt confident enough to understand the rules I sat down and placed my bet. I played a couple of hands and found that I enjoyed this game much more than black jack, I even won the first hand I had played.

I peaked over my shoulder at the table where Edward was sitting and he was gone, however his date was sitting in the same spot as before. She was looking directly at me. I turned quickly away and my cheeks flushed at being caught. I reached for my cards and jumped slightly as a velvety voice whispered in my ear.

"Can I join you?"


	24. Gambling For Gain

**Chapter 24**

**Gambling for Gain**

**EPOV**

"So tell me Edward, are any of the rumors true?" Angela asked.

"What rumors?"

"That you broke yet another girl's heart." She smiled, and I knew that she was just teasing me, but my heart clenched at the reminder. She recognized her blunder immediately by the look on my face.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry." She looked out over the dance floor in embarrassment at her words.

"No, no, that's okay. There's only been one girl since my divorce. All the rest that I've been photographed with were…well…they didn't mean anything to me." She nodded her head in understanding.

"They were like me," she stated simply.

"Um…yeah…they were escorts, but they weren't like you. You are a rare breed," I said chuckling at the thought of Angela being put in the same category as Lauren.

"What happened with…" She trailed off waiting for me to fill in the blank.

"Bella." I paused before answering her question. Angela's friendly personality had me wanting to spill all of my grief and distress over Bella to her. She genuinely wanted to know and not for her own curiosity but to try and be a friend.

"I was a jerk. I didn't understand what she needed at the time."

"Do you know now?"

"Yeah, I know now, but it's too late. I would do just about anything to have another chance."

"I'm sure that things will work out," she said sympathetically. Her teasing tone came back to her as her face lit up with mischief. "So, Mr. Cullen, I think that most of the pictures I have seen you in have you dancing." I smiled at Angela's observation.

"What can I say? I like to dance."

"Okay then twinkle toes show me what you've got," she said, challenging me. I led her to the dance floor where a quick step was playing.

"Do you know the quick step?" She smiled a radiant smile and nodded her head.

"Five years of ballroom lessons have prepared me for this moment." She teased. It was pleasant being with her. She radiated confidence and I couldn't help but think that her fiancé was a lucky man.

I swung her around and took her hand in mine placing my other hand on the small of her back. Then I swept her around the floor in an upbeat pace. Her smile grew as I twirled her around and then switched directions.

"Well, Mr. Cullen, I think you may give Ben a run for his money."

"Ben?"

"My fiancé. He's been taking lessons to get ready for our wedding. I may have to send you an invitation so you can be my quick step partner. He hasn't quite got this dance down yet." She laughed good naturedly.

"I'd love to," I said honestly.

We danced for awhile before Angela said she needed a break. We walked back over to the tables surrounding the dance floor and had a seat. That's when I saw her.

Her back was to me but I would know that long mahogany hair and the curves of her body anywhere. She sat perched on a stool around the Texas Hold em' table. My body stiffened as I gazed at her, longing to go to her but not wanting to scare her off. A petite hand waved in front of my face.

"Yoo Hoo, Edward?" Angela's hand waved again in front of my face.

"I'm sorry," I said as I reluctantly dragged my eyes away from Bella to the woman sitting in front of me. Panic started to rise at the thought that Bella may have seen me with Angela. _Oh no, this is what my mother meant. _I groaned out loud and rubbed my forehead at the stupidity of the situation. I looked up and Angela had a worried frown on her face.

"What is it?" I looked over at the poker table to see that she was still sitting there; there is only a slim possibility that she didn't see me. I groaned again.

"Do you see the girl in the blue dress sitting at the poker table over there?" I pointed at the table where the reason for my existence was sitting. Angela turned around and found who I was pointing to and then turned back to face me.

"Yes, what about her?"

"That's Bella." I ran my hands through my hair in a nervous twitch. Angela looked back over her shoulder for a minute before looking back at me.

"Get your butt up and go over there," she said in a forceful tone.

"I can't, what if she saw us dancing? What if she doesn't want to talk to me? What if..."

"What if the sky turns green and your hair falls out. Give me a break, Edward. It's obvious you love her, get up now and go talk to her."

I shook my head quickly. "I can't."

"You can't or you won't?" The disappointed look on her face made me stop my denial long enough to realize that I had to do this. _I have to go talk to her._

I stood up abruptly and a small squeal of delight came from my new friend.

"Go get her tiger." She said with a small growl and I chuckled at her enthusiasm. I took two steps and was stopped by her voice again.

"Edward, I'll stay here to make sure things are moving forward with you two, but then I'll take a cab home. You don't need me as a distraction."

I came back to the table and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Thank you, Angela, don't forget to send me that invitation."

"I wouldn't dream of forgetting, Edward. Now hurry up!" I turned and walked towards the table that Bella was sitting at. I came up beside her quietly; the smell of freesia's floated through the air from her perfume. I stood there for a minute before she glanced over her shoulder toward the direction I had come.

"Can I join you?" I was surprised that my voice came out smooth and not panicked like I felt. I watched as her back stiffened and then she slowly turned around to face me. She was more beautiful then I remembered, however her eyes held a hint of sadness.

"I'm not sure. Is it okay with your date?" I chuckled lightly, trying to see the humor in the situation.

"She doesn't mind." She looked over my shoulder at Angela and then back at me. I saw a fire in her eyes that wasn't there a second ago that made me want to grab her and kiss her soundly.

"She's very pretty." I noted jealousy in her voice and I couldn't help but feel slightly smug at the realization.

"Are you jealous, Bella?" I asked hoping to get a rise out of her, but she didn't bite. Instead she surprised me with her answer.

"Maybe a little." She admitted, and then she turned back to her cards and ignored me.

I moved quickly to the other side of the table, directly in front of her, separated only by the dealer. I finished watching the hand that she was playing and made note of a few of her habits while she played. She bit her lip in thought, but I wasn't sure yet if she did that when she was bluffing or not. She also tapped her fingers on the table in impatience but I soon found out that she did that when she had a good hand. _She was so easy to read._

The blind bet was made and the dealer dealt two cards to everyone. I had pair of queens, hearts and spades, so I raised the bet the first time it went around. I glanced at Bella under my lashes and she was biting her lip in concentration. I continued to watch her as she occasionally glanced my way, shifting slightly in her seat.

The dealer discarded the top card and flipped over three community cards, an ace of diamonds, a nine of clubs, and a queen of diamonds, giving me a three of a kind with queens. The bet came around to me and I raised, two people folded leaving Bella, myself and an older gentleman sitting on her other side in the game.

The dealer discarded the top card and flipped over a two of hearts. Still leaving me with a three of a kind but there was still one more card. I bet and the older gentleman at the table folded. Bella looked hesitantly at me before throwing in her bet and raising me. She bit her lip intently and that's when I figured that she was bluffing. I threw in what she raised and called. The dealer flipped over the last and final card which was an ace of spades, leaving me a full house queens high. I couldn't help the smug smile that played across my lips. Bella began tapping her fingers on the table in anticipation.

She threw in half of the pile that was sitting in front of her and I matched her bet, calling her. She smugly turned over her cards. _Damn_, she had a full house aces high. I flipped over my queen high full house and slammed them on the table. She smirked at me from across the table and I couldn't help but grin.

"I think you may need your good luck charm," she said sarcastically. I gave her a questioning look. "Your date," she clarified; a hint of jealousy dripped from her voice.

"Hmm. She left." I saw the look of surprise flit across her features.

"Why?" Bella's curiosity was endearing, especially since I knew she was fishing for information. I decided to give her something to think about.

"She had to get back to her fiancé." A look of shock flashed across her face. She looked down and I wanted to pull her eyes back up to mine to see what she was thinking. Finally a small smile played at her lips and she looked up at me, a mischievous glint was in her eye.

"I never did find out what your fascination with escorts was." There was a small gasp from the other patrons at her convenient slip of the tongue. I shook my head and chuckled as she gave back what I had dished.

"Touché, my dear."

We played several more hands the money flowed back and forth between us. I was pleasantly surprised at her quick thinking and bold bets.

The more I watched her the more I began to read the small signs in her actions. I had pinned down positively that she tapped her fingers on the table when she had a good hand. However, the lip biting, besides being completely distracting, I couldn't quite figure out. She seemed to do it both when she was bluffing and when she was confident.

The bets were made and the cards dealt. I had an ace and two of hearts in the pocket. The bets went around and then the dealer flipped over the first three community cards. An ace of spades, a two of clubs and a king of diamonds. This gave me two pair. I was surprised when Bella raised to almost half of her chips. I looked over at her and she was biting her lip carefully. I threw in her bet and raised it. Immediately the other players dropped out. Bella looked at me carefully and I could almost see the wheels turning in her head, trying to decide on what to do next.

She shoved all of her chips in and I couldn't resist the opportunity that just arose. I did the same, but before she could flip over her cards I halted her. She looked at me with questioning eyes. I looked at the dealer.

"I know that it is not normally done, but I would like to up the ante with the lady." The dealer looked between me and a slightly shocked Bella.

"Well, sir, that's usually not allowed, but it _is_ a charity game so it's up the lady" We both looked at Bella waiting for her answer.

She shrugged in agreement. "What do you want to bet, Edward?"

"Winner gets to ask three questions and the loser has to answer honestly."

"One question." She tried to negotiate.

"Two,"I said.

"Deal." She smiled deviously at me. "Get ready to lose."

She flipped over her cards and she had a pocket of aces, giving her a three of a kind. I groaned internally as I flipped over my two pairs. I looked up at her and she had a smug look on her face. The dealer flipped over a ten of diamonds that didn't help either of our hands.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**BPOV**

I felt a sense of satisfaction that I had a better hand than Edward. I don't know what possessed him to make our little side bet but there were several questions I would love to have answered. I couldn't help the grin that adorned my face as the ten of diamonds was flipped over. _One more card and it__'__s mine. _I started to formulate the questions I wanted to ask him. Are you okay with me working for PNT? When do you go back to Seattle? Do you love me? I sighed internally, knowing that I would never ask that last question. The dealer paused for dramatic effect before he flipped over the final card. A two of spades.

"NO!" I screeched before covering my mouth with my hand. He had a stupid full house. That's the second time that I thought I had him and he still pulled off a win. I glared at him over the table as that sexy crooked grin lit up his face.

Edward quirked a brow at me and stood up. "Looks like I won." I wanted to kick him in the shins and kiss him at the same time. He walked quickly over to my chair and pulled it away from the table, offering me his arm. I took it reluctantly as he led me out onto a secluded balcony that overlooked a golf course. He motioned for me to sit as he went back inside to the bar and ordered us a drink. I watched him closely through the door as he tapped his fingers lightly on the bar. He glanced over his shoulder and caught me staring at him. His smile lit up and he winked at me playfully. My heart fluttered and I scolded myself for letting him have such an effect on me.

He came back a few minutes later, closing the doors to give us some privacy. He set down the cocktail in front of me and I picked it up draining half of the glass in the first drink. There's nothing like a little liquid courage to help you get through what I'm sure was going to be a painful interrogation. He sat across from me his emerald eyes piercing to my soul.

"So, what do you want to know?" I asked hesitantly.

"Why did you take the job at PNT?" I stood up and walked to the balcony, trying to collect my thoughts before I answered. I turned to look at him, but was surprised to find him standing so close to me.

"Because I found out that you were right about Manhattan Trust. They _were_ the Gray Knight." I looked away, a hint of embarrassment touching my cheeks. It was hard for me to admit that I had been wrong, that all of this heartache was my fault.

"They wanted me to do things to hurt your company and I could never work for someone that was so malicious. I could never do anything to hurt you." I felt the heat from his body directly behind me, even though he was so close he didn't touch me.

"You didn't answer my question Bella, you told me why you left Manhattan Trus,t but not why you took the job Emmett offered." I sighed internally. _What am I supposed to say? I love you? I wanted to be closer to you?_ I shrugged my shoulders.

"It was a good opportunity and I needed a job since I told Mr. Stevens off." I smirked at the memory of his shocked face when he found out that I was the one to close the Kingsley deal.

He laughed lightly, "Remind me to ask you about that later. I have one more question." I turned to face him and then nodded for him to continue. I could smell his musky cologne assault my senses and for a moment I was lost in his scent. His eyes softened and then he looked down at his hands. I watched him have an internal battle with himself before he finally spoke.

"Why did you leave?" he whispered quietly. I thought I had been pretty clear on why I had left but now as I stood next to Edward I realized that my reasoning was from a different person, one who wanted her independence so desperately that she was willing to give up the one true thing in her life. Now my independence meant nothing if he wasn't around.

"If I answer your question I need you to let me explain it completely without interruptions." He nodded his head slowly.

"I can do that." His eyes met mine again and all I wanted to do was throw myself into his arms and beg for his forgiveness, but I knew that this conversation had to happen if I was going to have any hope of rekindling our relationship or at the least maintain a friendship.

"I left because I had to." His expression went to one of confusion. "For two years I was dependent on Mike. I lived in his home and was subjected to his will. When I finally escaped his prison I was rescued by you." I smiled at him and then continued. "Even though you would never hurt me like he did, I was still dependent on you. I jumped from one co-dependent relationship into another." He started to protest, but I held my hand up to stop him. "You promised."

He nodded his head and snapped his mouth shut, beckoning me to continue.

"Like I said, I know you would never hurt me, but I needed to get my independence back. I could never be the kind of woman that I wanted to be, or one that you deserved, unless I became my own person. When you offered to give me a home, job, car and expense account you were only feeding that dependent side of our relationship."

I sniffed as the tears came to my eyes. "I did't want to leave you, Edward. I love you." I whispered quietly as I looked into his eyes, a silent tear ran down my cheek. The surprise of what I had just said was written across his face. "I've come to realize that I would rather only have you when you visited New York than to not have you at all." He reached over and brushed a tear from my cheek and I pressed my face into his palm.

"Jake made me realize that I was being a fool. That's why I took the job at PNT, I realized that you weren't trying to make me dependent on you, but you wanted to protect me and keep me safe by offering those things to me. I'm just sorry I didn't see that before I left." I looked down at my shoes. I wasn't sure how he was going to take my apology or declaration.

"Bella," he whispered softly as his thumb rubbed across my cheekbone. I slowly raised my eyes to meet his and I was taken aback at the unshed tears in his eyes. "I couldn't stop thinking about you the whole time we were apart." He whispered. "Every decision, every action that I have done since then was to bring me closer to you. I never will be away from you again. I want…no…I need to be with you"

My heart soared at his words, there was hope that everything would work out. He brought up his other hand and cupped my face gently before pulling me closer to him. His eyes were locked with mine as he inched closer to me. My heart was racing, knowing that this was what I had longed for. Just as my lips touched his, in a breathy whisper, he said the words I longed to hear.

"I love you, Bella." Another tear slid down my cheek as I pulled back with a tiny gasp and searched his eyes for the truth. I had no doubts left with what I witnessed in his eyes. They sparkled with love and the same happiness that I felt. I reached up and brushed a lock of his hair away from his eyes and smiled.

"Is this my happily ever after?" I asked as he shook his head slightly.

"No, not until the Knight has claimed his fair lady." He said as he leaned in and took my lips gently into his. We had shared so many kisses in the past but none of them compared to the sweet truth that was shared between us with this one kiss. I sighed into his mouth as he pulled away.

"Now, my love." He smiled widely at me. "We live happily ever after."


	25. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**BPOV**

Alice came bursting through the hospital doors, a slightly panicked yet excited look on her face. Jasper was right on her heals carrying a huge teddy bear and the biggest Mylar pacifier balloon I had ever seen, with _congratulations_ written across it in large letters.

"We got here as quickly as we could," Alice breathed heavily as she danced over to me and gently hugged me as I winced at the pain the movement had caused. Then she ran over and gave my exhausted husband a kiss on the cheek and trying to get a peek at the sweet baby bundled in a pink blanket in his arms.

"So this is our little princess?" Alice sang as she bounced on her heals and clapped her hands lightly. Edward pulled his tired eyes away from our sleeping daughter and smiled at his sister.

"Are you trying to wake her up Alice, because you just succeeded?" He teased. Alice's bouncing increased.

"I want to hold her. Please, Edward, give her up." She held out her hands and Edward frowned slightly, looking back down at his daughter.

"Only for a minute because her mommy is supposed to be resting right now." I frowned at Edward for being so rude to his sister. He gave me a pointed look to not argue with him, so I didn't. After twelve hours of labor I _was_ exhausted and he was right I should get some sleep before it's time to feed our little angel again.

Alice looked like someone popped her balloon. The signature pout was starting to emerge before Jasper wrapped his arms around his disappointed girlfriend. He whispered softly in her ear and she instantly brightened.

Edward stood up carefully and placed Alice's niece in her arms. Alice instantly stopped bouncing, a calm look came over her face and tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at me and then at Edward.

"She's got your eyes," Alice said to Edward quietly. I looked at my handsome husband and saw his chest puff out a little more with pride as Alice stroked her cheek softly.

I caught Edward looking longingly at the pink bundle of blankets before he spoke.

"You've got five minutes before I throw you out." I shot another glare at him. He just shrugged, sat down and then laid his head back on the chair and closed his eyes. He had been the best cheerleader I could have had for the most painful time of my life. I shuddered slightly at the remembrance, everyone says that you forget the pain by the time you're ready to have the next child, but I don't think that will ever be possible for me.

Moments later a burst of energy that rivaled Alice's came running through the door. Esme's cheeks were flushed and her hair was slightly askew, which was a huge change from her usual perfectly polished appearance. When she spotted the pink blanket a small squeal came from her lips.

Edward groaned and started to protest, but I shushed him before he could get out his displeasure at having a room full of family.

"It's a girl!" Esme ran over to Alice and peeked over her shoulder. Tears were flowing down her cheek before she spoke.

"She's beautiful, Bella," she cried as she held out her hands for Alice to hand her over. A small pout formed on Alice's lip but she reluctantly gave my baby to her mother. Carlisle soon came through the door.

"She made me drop her off and then park because she couldn't wait. I can see that she wasted no time," he said with a small chuckle.

"Hush!" Esme scolded and then turned her attention back to the baby. Carlisle came over and shook Edward's hand and pulled him in for a hug. Then came over to me and kissed my cheek gently.

"How are you doing, my dear?"

"I'm fantastic." I smiled as he made his way over to see his first grandchild.

I looked up at my sister-in-law to see her rummaging through the huge Gucci handbag that she had brought with her. She pulled out the Post and right on the front page was a picture of Edward and I being admitted into the hospital. I groaned out loud and Edward shot to my bedside, my hand grasped firmly in his.

"What is it? Are you in pain? Do you want me to call the doctor?" I smiled at how much he worried about me.

"Relax." I pointed at the offending paper that Alice had in her hand. When Edward saw it he let out the same groan that I had just emitted.

"I don't even want to know what it says," he told Alice vehemently, glaring at her.

"Too bad. I'm going to read it to you anyway," she said with a slightly evil smirk on her face. She loved to torment Edward as much as she could, especially in front of Esme. I had to smile to myself at the sibling rivalry between these two. I never understood it because I was an only child, but watching it between Edward and Alice was quite amusing. I waved my hand at her.

"Well, read it," I said as it was Edward's turn to glare at me. I smiled at him sweetly and I watched his annoyance dissolve. I could probably crash his precious Vanquish right now and he'd still give me that smile. It's amazing what excruciating pain will let you get away with.

Alice smiled widely at me as she opened the paper. "Cullen dynasty to continue," Alice stated dramatically as she read the headline. Edward rolled his eyes as she went on.

"Edward and Isabella Cullen were recently seen being admitted to St. Vincent's midtown Hospital for the birth of their first child. _New York__'__s Beauty _aka Bella Cullen…"

Alice paused and then winked at me. I flushed slightly at the nickname the tabloids had given me. Unfortunately, Edward had lost the title of _Playboy Cullen_ and was now know as _The Beast_, which thrilled Alice to no end.

"…was said to be doing well. However, _The Beast_ has struck again. The Posts own cameraman, Stephen Peters, was assaulted standing outside the hospital admittance room by none other than Edward Cullen." Esme gasped as Alice lowered the paper and giggled at Edward. Edward grasped the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger in an agitated display.

"Tell me you didn't punch another reporter," Esme said with a disappointed tone.

"Really, Edward? Have you no restraint?" Alice teased. He clenched his jaw and glared at his sister.

"He deserved it," he growled. "He wouldn't get out of the way and Bella was in pain. I had no choice." Esme frowned at him but then turned her attention back to the baby in her arms. Alice clicked her tongue before turning back to the article.

"Mr. Peters will not be pressing charges, opting instead to wish the happy couple congratulations." Alice scanned over the article and then looked up with a frown.

"There's more in here about Mike and James, do you want to hear it?" she asked as Edward shook his head no and I nodded yes. Edward looked over at me with pleading eyes.

"You need to get some sleep, please let me throw my family out," he begged.

"In just a minute, I want to hear what they have to say." He motioned for Alice to hurry up.

"Make it quick," he growled again.

"Our beloved Beauty has had quite the ordeal over the last month, where she testified in two different cases. Mike Newton was recently convicted of sexual assault, battery and assault with a deadly weapon of his girlfriend where our beloved heroine saved her from certain death."

My eyebrows rose at the statement. "That's not really what happened." I said, but Edward let out a fierce growl and shook his head.

"You attract more trouble than anyone I know," he said, slightly miffed that he wasn't there to deal with Mike. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Go on, Alice."

"James Johnson was extradited from Switzerland after Pacific Northwest Trust threatened to pull all operations out of the country. He was sentenced in the assault and attempted sexual assault of Isabella Cullen. He now is awaiting trial for six other sexual assault cases, if convicted the charges will land him in prison for the rest of his life." Alice snapped the paper closed and then threw it in the garbage.

"I'm ready to hold my niece again," Alice chimed excitedly, completely forgetting about the drama that was written in the Post and walking towards her mother. Esme kissed our baby on the forehead and started to hand her over to Alice when Edward interceded.

"It's time for Bella to rest," he announced as he tried to usher everyone out the door. Esme came back towards me and kissed my forehead.

"Thank you for the beautiful grandchild. We love you." She squeezed my shoulder gently as I whispered my love for her and Carlisle. Edward handed me our sweet baby girl as he walked his family out the door.

I stared at the door for several minutes after they had left. My mind wandered to my participation in the trials. I had helped put two very dangerous men behind bars for a long time. I no longer felt like I needed to look over my shoulder and now we were starting fresh. _Edward, me and our baby girl._ I looked down as she stared quietly at my face. I couldn't help but smile at the depth of love she brought to our lives.

Edward and I had found out that I was pregnant a month after the casino night fundraiser. We shouldn't have been shocked since birth control was never even considered by either of us. He was thrilled from the second we found out and his enthusiasm eventually rubbed off on me.

We flew my family to New York where we were married in a small ceremony. Nothing extravagant. Just a quiet event with the people that we loved.

Edward walked in a few minutes later and came to sit on the edge of my bed. His permanent smile fully fixed on his face.

"Hello, Mommy," he whispered as he gently pulled the blanket back to see his new obsession, and then he kissed her head softly. His eyes moved from the new love of his life to mine. Happiness radiated off of him as he bent down and kissed my lips gently. I couldn't love him any more than I did at that moment.

"What do you want to name her?" he asked me softly. I smiled and looked down at the beautiful girl in my arms.

"She's the princess in our little fairytale so I was thinking of Elizabeth. It's a very regal name." Edward smiled gently at me and then looked prideful at his daughter.

"What about a middle name?" he asked.

"I don't know. How about since I picked the first name you pick her middle name." Edward looked at our little Elizabeth for a few moments and then smiled widely.

"How about Grace? Since we're sticking with the fairytale theme. After Grace Kelly the Princess of Monaco. Her life was a bit of a fairytale, too." He rubbed his finger over Elizabeth's cheek and smiled when her eyes met his.

I giggled and he looked at me questioningly. "Don't you like it?" He asked as I laughed out loud before composing myself enough to tell him what I had been thinking.

"No, no. I love it. I was just thinking that since she was my daughter we should name her Grace because it'll probably be the only way she'll have any." Edward barked out a loud laugh startling Elizabeth at the abrupt noise. A little whimper escaped her mouth as Edward picked her up to soothe her fear. She quieted down quickly as he hummed a soft lullaby.

"Princess Elizabeth Grace it is then." He whispered as he brushed his lips over the top of her head.

I couldn't help but think that the Knight was now the King of both of our hearts.

**Thanks for reading!**


	26. Chapter 27

To those that want to know what happened to HOFY & DA:

I feel it imperative to preface this statement with a little backstory. As some of you may know, before fan fiction, I had never written anything creatively. I'm a stay-at-home mom in my late *cough-thirties-cough* and hadn't written as much as a short story. I'd been bored. My children are in high school now, and my husband travels _a lot_. I needed something to occupy my time. I found fan fiction through my love of Twilight and Stephenie Meyer's website and decided to give writing a go when the Sexy Eddie contest was created. I was the perfect definition of an accidental author.

Once I had discovered this hidden ability, I wrote for the sheer joy of writing and exploring characters and human nature. _Holding Out for You_ was a means for me to write a story about two people who had dealt with adversity and heartbreak in their lives to eventually learn to love again. I used Stephenie Meyer's characters to tell a tale of something that touched my heart, and over the years, I've been told that it has touched others as well. For this reason, I wanted more than just the Twific community to be able to read a story that means so much to me. So, I rewrote HOFY into an original story to share with my readers. Yes, that means that those of you who were too ashamed to tell your family and friends that you read Twific (just like me) can now send them to read HOFY, which is now called _Ready to Love Again_, on my website as an original story without shame.

I have to admit that the thought of publishing HOFY has crossed my mind since it's been a huge trend in the fandom. I originally started reworking it for that purpose over a year ago; however, with a lot of soul searching and some tears, I had to determine what would be best for my possible career as an author in the future. Once I had a clear picture of where I want to be in the next five years, I had to figure out what I wanted to do with HOFY. If my main goal is to share this story with more than the Twific community then I could still do that by publishing it in its new form on my original fiction website. So the speculation can stop. I'm not publishing HOFY other than on my personal website under a different title and not as a derivative work.

When I began writing HOFY, I always knew that once it was on a public website that people would be able to download it and share the story. At the time, I had no qualms about that. I'm sure that HOFY is floating out there in cyberspace, and I've accepted that, even if I wish now that it weren't so. Since I'm coming out of the closet with my writing to family and friends, I've pulled the original forms of HOFY and DA for personal reasons and hope that any copies will stay behind closed doors. LOTK and Molto Bella will remain on the FF site, but I will be reworking those in the near future. Unfortunately, Devil's Angel had too much to rework, so it is gone … _for now_.

The new story, Ready to Love Again (originally HOFY), is in my opinion, better written. For the most part, the plot is the same, but I am confident that my writing style has changed so much that the same message is given in less words. I took a year, rewrote the story into third person, cut more than 70%, had an awesome beta look it over, condensed the scenes that I kept, had a group of awesome readers/writers/editors from Fictionista Workshop critique it to death, and then added a whole heck of a lot of new stuff. My hope is that even a previous reader will be able to enjoy it again. I hope you'll accept it as a replacement for the original version.

The next question that will probably be asked is whether I'm leaving the fandom. The answer to that is no. I love this fandom—even with the unbelievable amount of drama that I've witnessed recently. I have made too many wonderful friends to ever be truly gone. Friends are great and keep me motivated and focused on writing, but what I treasure the most are the amazing readers with whom I have had the opportunity to interact. I appreciate and love every one of you that left a little bit of encouragement and critique over the years. Your input has helped me become a better writer and also recognize the emotions a reader goes through as they immerse themselves in a story. That alone has been invaluable.

The last question I will address is whether I'm publishing anything? That remains to be seen. I'm working on a few original stories that I hope will be published someday. For those that will speculate about what publisher I will pursue, I will put those rumors to rest now. I am determined to go the _traditional route_ to see if my stories can stand on their own. That means once my story is complete, I will look for an agent that will find a publishing house to fit my needs as an author.

I have started a website for my original stories, and I encourage those that want to know about my writing to sign up for the newsletter. I won't bombard people with useless spam if you sign up, and your email will be protected. I'm hoping to send something quarterly that will consist of original writing contests, reader/reviewer appreciation, writing information and articles by various authors, and original short stories and one-shots.

You can find me here: www(dot)annalyseknight(dot)com. Link is also on my profile page.

If you'd like to send me a message, don't review this chapter, please send a PM or email to ObsessingOverEdward(at)gmail(dot)com

Thank you, and I appreciate your support.

Annalyse


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